Snow, sleet, and freezing rain are set to continue impacting the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states on Wednesday, while California prepares for a storm that could bring significant flooding to areas affected by recent wildfires.
The National Weather Service projects heavy snowfall—up to 14 inches (35 centimeters)—in parts of Virginia and West Virginia. Ice accumulations may exceed a third of an inch (8.4 millimeters) in Stanleytown, Virginia, and a quarter of an inch (6.3 millimeters) in Glendale Springs, North Carolina.
In California, an atmospheric river is expected to arrive late Wednesday, bringing the potential for flooding in urban areas throughout central and Southern California.
The snowstorm that swept through the mid-Atlantic on Tuesday resulted in numerous accidents on icy roads and led to school closures. By Tuesday evening, approximately 12,000 customers in Virginia were without power.
The Virginia Department of Transportation urged residents to stay home and avoid travel as conditions worsened. In parts of Baltimore and Washington, snowfall reached an inch (2.5 centimeters) per hour, prompting the closure of all Washington public schools on Wednesday.
Appalachian Power reported mobilizing 5,400 restoration workers to address power outages in West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Additionally, about 65 soldiers from the Virginia National Guard were deployed to assist with the storm response, along with another 20 in support roles.
Winter storm warnings are in effect from northwest North Carolina up to southern New Jersey, with a transition from snow and ice to rain anticipated by Wednesday afternoon as temperatures rise.
Meanwhile, a separate storm system is predicted to bring heavy snow from Kansas to the Great Lakes, leading the Kansas Legislature to cancel Wednesday meetings and the governor to close state offices in Topeka.
In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency as schools and government offices shut down on Tuesday. State police reported 700 traffic accidents and multiple injuries, although it remains unclear how many were directly weather-related.
In southern West Virginia, several major highways experienced closures due to crashes. Local towing services reported receiving numerous calls from stranded truck drivers due to icy conditions.
As conditions remained uncertain, local business owners were cautious but hopeful about reopening with improved road access.
An Arctic air mass has settled over a broad area from Portland, Oregon, to the Great Lakes. Butte, Montana, recorded a frigid low of minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 35 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday morning, leading local advocates to distribute cold-weather supplies to the homeless.
In Oregon’s Multnomah County, emergency officials have extended a state of emergency through at least Thursday, with shelters opening to assist those in need as temperatures are forecasted to plummet.
The atmospheric river in California is projected to peak on Thursday, bringing heavy snowfall in the Sierra Nevada and prompting the strategic placement of over 700,000 sandbags across central and Southern California.
