Weather Armageddon: Tornado warnings in the most unlikely places, blizzard warnings, out-of-control fire threats, the risk of severe storms and floods, as the US is facing a variety of unusual threats all at once today.
Variety of disastrous weather threats across US today
A hurricane is about the only thing that is not on the menu of potentially disastrous weather threats that span from coast-to-coast across the US today. Apart from that, it seems that everything is on the table.
The US is facing the threat of blizzards, avalanches, heavy snow, freezing rain, severe thunderstorms, large hail, destructive winds, tornadoes, flooding, and out-of-control wildfires.
Blizzards, snow
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued blizzard warnings for eastern and southern Montana, western North Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and northwestern South Dakota on Friday. Heavy snow in these areas is expected to continue and likely to expand into Saturday, as well as into parts of Utah and Colorado.
A winter storm has already dropped two feet of snow on the Sierra over parts of Lake Tahoe, prompting an avalanche warning.
Freezing rain
The NWS has forecast freezing rain over parts of Montana and North Dakota on Friday and Saturday. Mixed precipitation was forecast throughout the West and into the Southwest, and along the northern tier of the Midwest for Friday. A wintry mix is also forecast for the Rockies, northern Rockies, and upper Midwest on Saturday.
Severe storms, tornadoes
California isn’t where you’d expect tornadoes, but the National Weather Service in Sacramento issued tornado warnings for multiple areas east of Stockton after radar indicated strong rotations and tornadoes, newsbreak reported.
But by far, the biggest threat of severe weather on Friday will stretch through the central US over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and with a lesser threat over portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and northern Michigan.
The greatest threat on Friday, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the NOAA, is over northern Texas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, western Kansas, and southwestern Nebraska. These areas have a Level 3 enhanced threat for very large hail, damaging street-line winds, and at least a few tornadoes are anticipated.
On Saturday, the threat moves slightly east, over central and northeastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri, and most of Iowa and Minnesota, with a level 2 slight risk of hail, strong wind gusts, and potential tornadoes, according to the SPC.
Flooding rain
The NWS issued a flood watch over central and eastern Iowa and Northwestern Illinois for Friday. The NWS also warned of heavy rain that could bring possible flooding to parts of northern and eastern North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, central and eastern Iowa, and Northwestern Illinois on Friday. In Southern California, where it supposedly never rains, heavy rain collapsed the roof of a target store in Alhambra, CBS LA reported.
Out-of-control wildfire threat, winds
The West is facing a “dire” threat of out-of-control fires on Friday, the Washington Post reported.
The NWS issued red flag warnings for portions of Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas on Friday. High wind warnings were issued for most of the central US and West.
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and Nebraska are all at elevated risk for fire weather on Friday.
The National Weather Service issued a warning over “extremely critical” fire threats for parts of New Mexico and Colorado, CNN reported.
Evacuations continue near Flagstaff, Arizona, where thousands have already been evacuated. Over 20,000 acres had burned as of Thursday night, with no containment as yet, but progress is being made, according to a report by AZ Family. Heavy winds were forecast for the area on Friday, complicating firefighting efforts, where over 370 fire crews have already been deployed.
