A massive ice storm created treacherous driving conditions across Iowa and eastern Nebraska this weekend and prompted the temporary closure of Interstate 80 after numerous cars and trucks slid off the road.
Several events were canceled in the area due to the storm Friday evening, and businesses announced plans to open late Saturday as officials urged people to stay home if possible. Temperatures rose significantly in the afternoon, however, melting the ice in many places. “Luckily some warm air is moving in behind it to make it temporary,” said meteorologist Dave Cousins of the National Weather Service’s office in Davenport, Iowa.
At least one person has died in a crash on snowy roads in eastern Nebraska. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says a 57-year-old woman died when she lost control of her pickup truck and struck an oncoming truck on Highway 30 near Arlington. Another driver sustained minor injuries.
Elsewhere, gusts and winds of 60 mph (96 km/h) triggered the first tornado warning in San Francisco and caused some damage. Parts of neighboring San Mateo County were also included in the warning, which went out at 5:51 a.m. to about one million people in the area. It was picked up at 6:15 am
The storm toppled cars and some trees onto roads and damaged some roofs in San Francisco, which hasn’t seen a tornado since 2005, according to the weather service. Damage was being assessed to determine if there was indeed a tornado. “This was the first warning for a possible tornado in San Francisco. I guess there wasn’t a clear radar signature for the warning in 2005,” said Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the weather service in Monterey, Calif. He said he wasn’t there in 2005.
The fast-moving storm warned residents to take shelter, but few people in the area have basements. “The biggest thing we tell people in the city is to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside,” meteorologist Dalton Behringer said. In upstate New York, people were digging out after heavy snowfall. More than 33 inches (84 cm) was reported near Orchard Park, where residents are used to dealing with lake-effect snow this time of year.
And in Nevada, up to 3 feet (91 cm) of snow was forecast on the peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains, with a winter storm warning after more than a foot fell at some Lake Tahoe ski resorts by 10 p.m., the National Weather Service in Reno said. office
Interstate 80 was closed for about 80-miles (130-km) west of Applegate, California, to the Nevada state line in Reno, where rain continued to fall and a winter weather advisory remained in effect until late afternoon.
In Western Washington, tens of thousands of people lost power Saturday, local news outlets reported, amid a system that brought rain and strong winds.
Why should you buy our membership?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be confused and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package