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A Michigan firefighter has become the first known victim of a historic winter storm that has dumped more than two feet of snow in parts of Utah and is now making its way to the Northeast.
The volunteer firefighter from the Paw Paw Fire Department in Michigan was rushed to the hospital Wednesday night after he was struck by a downed powerline at around 5.45pm in Almena Township, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook. The unnamed firefighter was later pronounced dead.
Electric company Consumers Energy said in the aftermath that it is investigating the incident, noting: ‘Extreme weather event like this are difficult for numerous reasons, but few are more important the risk many first responders and line workers take with their lives in service of their community.’
More than 900,000 people across seven states are now without power, as Winter Storm Olive makes its way into the Northeast, where it is expected to bring even more snow and icy conditions.
But in the south, parts of Florida could see record-breaking heat on Thursday and people were seen sunbathing in Austin, Texas.
PROVO, UTAH: A person is seen walking with their baby and dog during the powerful snowstorm in Utah on Wednesday
BRIGHTON, UTAH: Parts of the state received more than two feet of snow by Thursday morning
Winter Storm Olive is now moving from the Midwest and Great Plains to the Northeast
Accumulating freezing rain in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan have already caused downed power trees and power outages with more than 900,000 people without power Thursday morning across the country.
The majority of the outages were reported in Michigan, where nearly 731.500 people were without power amid the brutally cold weather, according to PowerOutage.us which tracks utility data.
It was followed by Illinois, where over 85,000 outages have been reported.
At the same time, nearly 800 flights canceled into, leaving and within the United States already canceled by Thursday morning, and another 1,145 flights delayed, according to flight tracker FlightAware.com.
The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport was faring the worst from the storm, canceling nearly 30percent of its outgoing flights and 20percent of its incoming flights on Thursday as the storm continued to pummel the area.
It is expected to see more than two feet total over the next three-days — potentially the most snowfall the notoriously snowy city has seen in 30 years.
Conditions on the roads, though, were no better, with the Minnesota Department of Transportation announcing state highway shutdowns on Wednesday afternoon.
And in Wyoming, search and rescue operations were taking place in multiple counties for stranded motorists,
Sgt. Jeremy Beck, of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, told the Associated Press that high winds and drifting snow created a ‘near-impossible situation for crew’ conducting the searches.
‘They know their locations, it’s just hard for them to get to them.’
Roads across much of the southern part of the state remained impassable Wednesday night, the Wyoming Transportation Department posted online, with portions of Interstate 80 closed even as the snow began to stop.
Those stranded in their cars faced life-threatening conditions as temperatures in some areas plunged below zero degrees Fahrenheit overnight.
Authorities throughout the country are urging motorists to stay off the roads as the storm passes through on Thursday.
YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA: A picture from the Tunnel View point shows snow blanketing the mountains at Yosemite National Park on Tuesday
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: Snow plows worked to clear the highways during the storm on Wednesday, as motorists were warned to stay off the streets
MINNESOTA: Video posted online showed a truck spinning out of control along Highway 94
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A Minnesota maintenance worker cleared snow in front of the closed school as students stayed home for remote learning for the week
A few areas of Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas officially reached blizzard conditions Wednesday night, the Weather Channel reports.
Portions of southern Michigan and southern Wisconsin have now reported receiving more than half an inch of ice, while Brighton, Utah picked up over two feet of snow from the brutal storm.
Yellowstone Park in Wyoming also recorded 34inches of slush.
But the storm is not yet over in the area, with blizzard conditions continuing in parts of the Northern Plains due to a brutal combination of strong winds and heavy snow.
In some areas, the heavy snow and high wind speeds are creating whiteout conditions.
Hundreds of schools in Minneapolis remained closed on Thursday, and in Grand Rapids, schools were canceled for a second day.
About 90 churches in western Michigan were also forced to cancel Ash Wednesday services due to the extreme conditions.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest, high winds and heavy snow in the Cascade Mountains prevented search and rescue teams from locating three climbers who were killed in an avalanche earlier in the week.
And unexpectedly heavy snow in Portland, Oregon sent dozens of cars spinning out of control during rush hour.
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: A man walks along the Santa Fe, New Mexico Depot Rail Runner Station through the snow storm on Wednesday
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: Motorists move along the northbound lanes of Interstate 25 near the Air Force Academy after a winter storm packing heavy snow and single-digit temperatures swept over the area
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Willie Heger, who works for a landscaping service, made some money during the storm cleaning client’s houses on Wednesday
TWIN CITIES, MINNESOTA: The National Weather Service posted this photo online of snow drifts measuring up to 24 inches outside its offices Wednesday night
The storm is now spreading from the Midwest and the Great Lakes to parts of the Northeast, with upstate New York already starting to feel the effects.
In Buffalo, meteorologists expected mixed precipitation on Thursday with snow accumulations of up to three inches and ice accumulations around a tenth of an inch.
Further east, in Vermont, heavy snow is expected to sweep most of the state, dumping up to 10 inches of snow.
Lighter accumulations of up to four inches were predicted in lower elevations across upstate New York and central New England.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Flight disruptions continued Thursday, with 800 cancelations
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: A Southwest plane had to be de-iced before it could take off on Wednesday
California, not typically known for seeing snow in its southern areas, has also been placed under winter weather advisories.
Snow had already fallen in the Central Valley Wednesday afternoon just as National Weather Service officials were warning of blizzard conditions in Los Angeles.
‘Blizzard warning for extremely dangerous mountain conditions coming. Mountain travel will be a mess,’ the NWS said.
Noting just how unusual the warning was, the NWS LA added: ‘Clarification note on previous post. After review (sic) more records, This is the first blizzard warning we are aware of (even dating back before 2007).
It said the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are all under blizzard warnings from Friday through Saturday as cooler air moves in and wind speeds increase to 55mph.
The snow is expected to hit low elevations ‘all the way from the Oregon border to the Mexican border,’ UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain warned. ‘Nearly the entire population of CA will be able to see snow from some vantage points later this week if they look in the right direction.’
Some areas more than 6,000 feet above sea level could see up to seven feet of snow, while areas with elevations of less than 2,600 are likely to see lower amounts.
At the same time, areas along the coast and the valleys will see several inches of rain.
Up to seven feet of snow are predicted in some areas more than 6,000 feet above sea level, while lower amounts are expected in elevations of less than 2,500 feet.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: People are pictured clearing snow from a driveway even as the snow continued to fall
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: The dangerous conditions snarled travel on some highways
But in the south residents found themselves enjoying unseasonably warm weather on Wednesday.
Tennessee, Alabama, West Virginia, and Texas recorded temperatures in the high 70s and 80s Tuesday and Wednesday.
McAllen, Texas, which is located along the U.S.-Mexico border, also hit 95 degrees on Wednesday.
And Nashville, Tennessee topped out Wednesday at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking a 127-year-old record for the date,
The heat is now expected to continue with temperatures rising even further on Thursday.
Orlando, Florida could even break a February heat record if the thermometer reads at 91 degrees, as is expected.
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