Icy conditions coming Midwest Northeast Saturday Sunday following snowfall sparked travel nightmare

At least one person was missing and presumed dead as snow turned to rain and deluged the Pacific Northwest on Friday, causing flooding, landslides and the danger of avalanches.

A 72-year-old man disappeared and is presumed dead after leaving his residence to move his car to higher ground on Friday morning west of Olympia, Washington, in Cosmopolis, according to Grays Harbor Undersheriff Brad Johansson.

The man’s home was on a road that was flooded and authorities fear his vehicle was swept into floodwaters down a steep bank next to his driveway, Johansson said.

Snow and rain forced the closure of parts of Washington State’s two major highways – Interstate 90 and Interstate 5 – with flooding that also swamped roads throughout western Washington and Oregon.

The torrential downpour in the West came after snow pounded the eastern part of the country, cancelling another  5,100 flights to, from and within the United States by Friday night, according to Flightaware.com.

More than 50,000 customers along the West Coast are currently without power, while Virginia was the worst-hit state for power outages in the East, data from poweroutage.us showed.

The snowstorm in the East covered parts of Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland with 6 to 8 inches of powder, and some coastal New England towns saw more than a foot of snow. 

 In southwestern Washington’s Lewis County, a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 had been closed in both directions south of Chehalis because of flooding from the Chehalis River. All lanes of Interstate 5 in that area reopened Friday afternoon.

The major route across Washington’s Cascades – I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass – closed Thursday due to avalanche danger, heavy snow and low visibility. Stevens Pass on US 2, White Pass on US 12 and Blewett Pass on US 97 also closed Thursday.

Transportation officials say the four mountain passes that connect western Washington with eastern Washington likely would remain closed until Sunday because of the dangerous conditions.

And part of one of the only other roads crossing the state, State Route 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia River, closed for several hours on Friday because of a fatal crash near Lyle, Finn said.

Washington State University canceled classes Monday and Tuesday to allow students ample time to return to Pullman in eastern Washington following the severe winter weather, officials said on the university’s website.

Near Stevens Pass northeast of Seattle, the city of Leavenworth declared a state of emergency and asked for National Guard help after 3 feet of snow fell in 24 hours.

City leaders are concerned about the weight of snow on buildings and homes, KCPQ reported.

In Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, firefighters responded to a home that slid down a hillside. Live video from KING appeared to show crews rescuing a person and working to extinguish a fire just outside the home.

A man trapped in the home’s basement was extricated, according to the Seattle Fire Department. A woman escaped on her own while one dog died and another is missing, firefighters said.

Dozens of storm watches and warnings were in effect in Washington and Oregon, including a flood warning for the northern Oregon Coast following huge amounts of rainfall.

Several alerts were affecting a number of major roads in Washington State, with ‘hazardous water conditions’ closing a number of sections, the Washington State Department of Transportation said.

Some properties, roads and fields were seen deep in water in images and videos posted on social media and by local news outlets.

The National Weather Service said Hoquiam, Washington, in Grays County received a record 5.78 inches of rain Thursday. Other areas saw nearly half of the rain they’d expect to see for the month of January in just one day, according to the weather service.

Southwest Washington experienced its worst flooding in a decade and some rivers crested at more than 18 feet late Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

East of Seattle on Friday, parts of downtown Issaquah were closed after Issaquah Creek sent water over the roads. Some homes flooded and at least one apartment building was evacuated after the creek spilled over its banks and into the parking lot under the complex, KIRO reported.

In Centralia and around Thurston County, streets were flooding Friday and Washington National Guard members were helping with filling sand bags and other requests, the guard said on Twitter.

In northwest Washington, snow fell in Bellingham while roadways flooded throughout Whatcom County. Exceptionally high tides and winds were causing coastal flooding around homes in Birch Bay, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff´s Office.

In northwest Oregon, coastal flooding after heavy rains disrupted communities. Astoria got more than 4 inches of rain Thursday, breaking a record for rain on that date set in 1914.

The nearby city of Warrenton declared a state of emergency due to widespread flooding and school districts in Astoria, Warrenton, Knappa and Seaside canceled classes Friday.

In Oregon, Interstate 84 reopened after a landslide closed almost 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the highway from Troutdale to Hood River on Thursday.

Forecasters say the rains should subside over the weekend.      

The snow in the East shut federal government offices in Washington and dozens of school districts across the eastern half of the country canceled classes. 

 The storm was the second this week to slam into the eastern United States. On Monday, the region was blanketed by up to a foot of snow, stranding thousands of people for up to 27 hours when nearly 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in northern Virginia became impassable.

At one point on Friday morning, a ‘bomb cyclone’ was thought to be threatening New York City as nearly eight inches of snow caused travel chaos in the Big Apple.  

Massachusetts State Police reported the first fatality Friday after a vehicle veered off the road killing the lone driver on Friday morning.    

The storm hitting New York and most of the Northeast is predicted to evolve into a ‘bomb cyclone’ as it strengthens near the coast of New England this evening.

A ‘bomb cyclone’ occurs when a quick drop in pressure brings huge downpours and strong winds as the air pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. 

‘The storm is currently in the process of becoming a bomb cyclone and should be one by this evening south off Nova Scotia,’ a maritime province in Canada, AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys said. 

As the freezing temperatures continue through the weekend, nearly 200 million people across the US will have lows below freezing on Saturday.  

LaGuardia Airport recorded the most snow in New York City on Friday morning with 8.4 inches. Midtown Manhattan reported 6.2 inches with the rest of the city seeing an average of 5 inches when New Yorkers woke up. 

The New York City Sanitation Department was running at a roughly 20% staffing deficit due to COVID as the storm hit, said Commissioner Edward Grayson. 

Grayson said his department was deploying about 1,600 plows – 200 less than last year- and working to overcome the staff shortage by conducting aggressive pretreatment. 

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has begun handling his first snow storm in office and the first that that city has experienced all winter. 

The newly-appointed mayor tweeted a video of himself leaving Gracie Manor at around 7am Friday morning to handle ‘this snow issue’ but confirmed that roads are clear. 

‘No one does it like New York and anyone that thinks they can bet against New York, there is another thing coming,’ the mayor said. 

He then shared a video of himself pouring salt on the front steps of a residence trying to inspire New Yorkers to come together and step outside to help neighbors and city workers clear the streets. 

Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency with snowfall expected to increase as the storm moves through. 

The state woke up to between 4 to 6 inches of snow with Union County recording the most snow Friday morning. 

As the storm made its way north, multiple areas in Massachusetts were hit with over a foot of snow, AccuWeather reported. All Boston public schools have closed for the day ‘due to inclement weather,’ the city said. 

One fatality was reported by State Police in Freetown after a vehicle went off the road Friday morning. The individual was the lone occupant of the car involved in a one-vehicle accident, police confirmed.  

Massachusetts State Troopers have are working to clear the roads as multiple accidents and backups have caused delays and closed roads. Officials have reduced the speed limit of Interstate 495 in Boston to 40mph for the time being. 

Another snow system is expected to move from the Pacific Northwest into the Rockies today, while icy conditions will move from the Mid-South into the Northeast. 

The NWS warned of heavy mountain snow and gusty winds that are expected to impact the area on Friday.  

Kentucky recorded historic levels of snowfall breaking its 112-year-old daily record on Thursday with 9.9 inches of snow in Lexington.   

Governor Andy Beshear had warned drivers to stay off the roads because of hazardous road conditions caused by the snow and declared a state of emergency. 

‘Please do not travel if you don’t have to today,’ Beshear said during a press conference Thursday.  

The heavy snowfall lead to major traffic catastrophes. Dramatic video captured cars and semi-trucks strewn across a highway in eastern Kentucky after a heavy snowstorm led to a 75-car pile-up on the icy and slick road.  

Images shared on Twitter showed cars T-boned and partially buried in the snow along Interstate 64 between Winchester and Mount Sterling.   

In the Bluegrass State, portions of Interstate 75, the Western Kentucky Parkway and Interstate 71 were closed on Thursday afternoon after the massive pile-up.   

Most of I-75 Northbound had reopened shortly before 4pm, as crews tried to get I-64 opened.  

Lexington Police temporarily stopped responding to reports of non-injury collisions, urging motorists to stay on the side of the road, as they described the area of the I-64 junction as a ‘parking lot.’ 

Further east, the cities of Columbia, Tullahoma and Waynesville in Tennessee reported freezing rain and heavy sleet, while nearly all of middle Tennessee was under winter storm warning. 

Thursday’s storm blanketed parts of the South with quick-falling snow, freezing rain and sleet as the system tracked a path through Appalachia toward the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. 

Virginia and Washington DC were also hit with several inches of snow just days after Frida brought eight inches of snow and tumulus travel to the area. 

The DC area was hit with 2 to 5 inches of snow by the time the flurries ended before most people started their day on Friday. Commuters were warned of difficult travel in the morning as some roads were fully covered in snow.

Federal government offices and public schools in DC will be closed Friday. 

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency and welcomed the National Guard to help with emergency management. 

Temperatures in both Virginia and DC are expected to rise to the 40s by Sunday and the sun that is forecasted for most of the weekend should help melt some of the snowfall.    

Snow is expected in several areas of Colorado, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Washington State, and Wyoming. 

Mountains in Colorado saw nearly 4 feet of snow in some areas this week. The next storm is expected to hit the state Friday night and continue on into Saturday dumping several more inches of snow in the mountains. 

Colorado snowpack is now 122% of average for the first week in January, according to local meteorologist Ashton Altieri.  

The National Avalanche Center in Seattle warned that major avalanches could strike in the Cascade Mountains, Olympic National Park and Mount Hood. 

The NWS said that snow could increase on Long Island and southern Connecticut if the snow system moved closer to the coast, and warned New Yorkers of treacherous roads.

‘Part of the concern with tonight/tomorrow’s #snow is the timing. Short range models are signaling the potential for snowfall rates to exceed 1’/hour just as the morning commute gets underway. Treacherous roadway conditions are likely, especially early. If possible, avoid travel!’ the service tweeted on Thursday.  

It will also test the newly-elected mayor’s ability to be ready for such events after his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, was often criticized during his term for his lack of preparedness. 

One month after taking office in 2014, de Blasio was slammed when the Upper East Side was left buried while snow plows were sent to Brooklyn during a major snow storm. 

He said he did not expect two snow storms within his first month.

‘There is a rich history of people in leadership positions dealing with weather crisis,’ de Blasio said in 2014. ‘My attitude is to lead from the front and to be out leading from the front.’

However, in the following years he continued to be accused of failing to prepare New Yorkers for extreme weather events.  

Last year, 11 New York City residents were found dead in basements after torrential rains in the Big Apple. 

At the time, furious New Yorkers blamed de Blasio for not giving more warning for the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Ida and only declaring a state of emergency after the bodies of seven residents had been found. 

The new year started with inclement weather that has led to massive flight cancelations, closed government offices, caused major power outages, and left motorists stranded on interstate highways for more than 20 hours.

On Monday, winter storm Frida slammed the Mid-Atlantic region, dropping eleven inches of snow from North Carolina to southern New Jersey.

The bad weather further hampered the already COVID-battered airline industry. 

Flight cancellations within the US topped 1,000 for the 12th day in a row on Thursday, as airlines also battle staff shortages from the Omicron variant that began before the Christmas holiday. 

The storms raging across the country have lead to even more cancellations with nearly 2,329 flights within, into, or out of the US being cancelled Friday morning, according to tracking website FlightAware.

Southwest, United, and American Airlines have recorded the most disruptions today, with Southwest alone canceling nearly 500 flights.

Travelers scheduled to fly this weekend can endure more pain. 

‘Today, a wave of low pressure is forecast to develop along the arctic front draped across the Deep South,’ the Weather Prediction Center said on Thursday. ‘The combination of snow and ice may cause hazardous road conditions through tonight in this region.’

‘As the low tracks through the Southeast today, heavy snowfall is expected to develop across parts of the Tennessee Valley into the Central Appalachians, with some ice farther to the south across portions of southern/eastern Tennessee and northern Mississippi/Alabama.’

At least half a foot of snow is expected in several cities in the mid-South before the storm ceases on Friday.

‘An area of heavy snow, with rates on the order of 1-2+ inches per hour, may develop and overspread parts of western through middle Tennessee, including much of the Greater Nashville metropolitan area,’ the Storm Prediction Center announced.

The storm in Tennessee began hitting greater Nashville on Thursday morning.

About 1.5 to 3 inches of snow was reported for most of the area by late morning, according to the Nashville Weather Service, with areas south of the city seeing the freezing rain and heavy sleet.

The Nashville area could expect the precipitation to taper off in the afternoon and early evening, with 3 to 5 inches of snow expected, and more in some areas, the weather service said.

Authorities urged people to travel only when necessary, as Metro Nashville Police reported accidents and other driving woes that snarled and slowed several roads.

Police reported dozens of wrecks on the road by the early afternoon.

A section of Interstate 40 was closed due to a tractor trailer fuel spill crash, according to police, just one of the issues plugging up interstates in the city.

Schools around the region canceled classes, including a closure through Friday for Nashville’s public school students. 

Governor Bill Lee, meanwhile, closed state offices across Tennessee, and Nashville International Airport reported plenty of canceled and delayed flights.

The storm also hit Memphis and surrounding Shelby County, where school systems canceled classes and municipal courts were closed, while crews were monitoring conditions of city streets. 

Snow began falling mid-morning, after freezing rain and sleet fell on the city earlier in the day. Some flights were likewise canceled at Memphis International Airport.

First lady Jill Biden, meanwhile, had to cancel her trip planned for Thursday to view damage from last month’s tornado in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The storm presented an expected boon to the ski industry in West Virginia, where up to 8 inches of snow was forecast. 

Three of the state’s four major downhill ski resorts had suspended on-slope operations earlier this week due to warmer conditions. Now the activity was picking back up.

‘West Virginia can’t wait to welcome travelers to our snow-capped mountains this winter,’ said Chelsea Ruby, secretary of the state’s Department of Tourism.