A deadly winter storm that created blizzard conditions across Midwestern states, caused nearly 500 car crashes and more than 85,000 power outages is now barreling toward the Northeast.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a winter storm warning in northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where periods of heavy snow and gusty winds were expected to create difficult travel conditions.
Winter Storm Gage has dropped at least 14 inches of snow in Fargo, North Dakota. Heavy snow, icy roads and reduced visibility in North Dakota prompted authorities to close Interstate 29 from South Dakota to the Canadian border.
Interstate 94 was also closed from Bismarck to Fargo and in South Dakota, Interstate 90 was closed west of Mitchell.
A deadly winter storm that created blizzard conditions across Midwestern states, caused nearly 500 car crashes (a crash pictured in Minnesota) and more than 85,000 power outages is now barreling toward the Northeast
Winter Storm Gage has dropped at least 14 inches of snow in Fargo, North Dakota. First responders responded to 470 crashes, including 270 spinouts and 13 jackknifed semitrailers, across Minnesota as the roads iced over. A driver slid off the road in Minnesota on Saturday
A total of 43 accidents involved injuries and two were fatal. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, an 82-year-old man died early Saturday morning after his vehicle slid off an icy road and rolled into a ditch. Another man died in Brockway Township, Minnesota, after he crashed his car into a tree on Saturday morning. Pictured is a crash in Minnesota on Saturday
Officials across the upper Midwest urged drivers to stay off all roads – the city of Fargo even issued a rare no-travel advisory.
‘In our history, the city has rarely issued no travel advisories and only does so when conditions require’, city officials said in a Facebook post.
Forecasters also predict 10 inches to 14 inches of snow along Lake Superior’s south shore. Wind gusts topping 60mph whipped up waves that crashed over shoreline barriers in Duluth and Grand Marais, Minnesota, causing localized flooding on Sunday.
Freezing rain on Saturday caused nearly 500 crashes on Minnesota roads and caused the Metro Transit bus service to shut down in the Twin Cities, the first interruption of service in eight years.
First responders responded to 470 crashes, including 270 spinouts and 13 jackknifed semitrailers, across Minnesota as the roads iced over.
A total of 43 accidents involved injuries and two were fatal. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, 82-year-old, Charles Quernemoen, died early Saturday morning after his vehicle slid off an icy road and rolled into a ditch.
Another man died in Brockway Township, Minnesota, after he crashed his car into a tree on Saturday morning.
Jonathan Wolfe, an NWS meteorologist in Duluth, told the Star Tribune that Sunday’s precipitation and winds were just the first round of what he called an unusually strong winter storm. This season is already one of the top five snowiest to date for the area.
Forecasters predict 10 to 14 inches of snow along Lake Superior’s south shore. Fargo, North Dakota, has already received 14 inches of snow
Forecasts show the storm moving from the Midwest toward the Northeast as of 9.10am Monday morning
Monday’s forecast shows the storm still lingering in the Midwest as parts of the Northeast gets hammered with rain
Several northern and central Nebraska highways and county roads remained closed Monday because of ice and blowing snow from a winter storm system that’s bedeviling post-Christmas travelers.
A nearly 80-mile stretch of Interstate 80 from Lexington east to Grand Island was closed, the Nebraska Transportation Department said.
US Highway 83 from Valentine to the South Dakota state line was closed because of ice and drifting snow. Closures were reported on portions of Nebraska highways 11 and 70 as well.
The NWS warned travelers that wind gusts up to 45mph could occur through Monday evening.
More than a foot of snow has fallen in several spots. The service said 15 inches fell near Ansley and 13 inches fell in Broken Bow by Sunday afternoon, and the snow continued to fall.
In Northwest Nebraska, Chadron reported 12 inches of snow. A snow emergency is in effect in Kearney, Nebraska, until 10pm Monday.
In the Northeast, officials are warning residents in New England and an area stretching from Bangor, Maine to northeastern Pennsylvania, about hazardous conditions
By Tuesday morning, residents of Buffalo, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, will see snowfall as temperatures sit at 37F
Beginning Monday night, New England and eastern upstate New York residents could see six or more inches of snow, although this might be mixed with freezing rain and sleet
High winds from the storm caused tens of thousands of Ohio customers to lose electricity Monday morning.
More than 85,000 power outages have been reported across the state of Ohio.
According to The Weather Channel, gusts reached 50 to 70mph from southwest to central and northeast Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Transportation reported that downed power lines forced the closure of State Road 56 in both directions in Madison County.
Meanwhile in the Northeast, officials are warning residents in New England and an area stretching from Bangor, Maine to northeastern Pennsylvania, about hazardous conditions.
Forecasters called the storm ‘complex and relatively long’ that started Sunday night with rain in New England.
The first wave of precipitation arrived early Monday and dumped up to 5 inches of snow in southernmost Maine.
Before it’s over, a second round of snow starting Monday night could push New Year’s Eve snow totals to 14 inches in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and up to a foot in Maine from York County to the western foothills, said Derek Schroeter, meteorologist with the NWS.
Law enforcement agencies reported that some cars slid off roads Monday, but no serious crashes were reported.
Beginning Monday night, New England and eastern upstate New York residents could see six or more inches of snow, although this might be mixed with freezing rain and sleet.
Forecasters expect up to eight inches in parts of Vermont and up to a foot in central New Hampshire and western Maine.
Ice accumulation of half an inch or greater is expected to be a more of a problem in western and central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut, prompting the weather service to warn that ‘travel may be impossible’ in some areas. The weather will affect Monday evening’s commute.
The Boston area as well as coastal areas of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are expected to see mostly rain.
Power outages are possible due to ice, and travel is expected to be difficult.
Several airlines have issued travel waivers due to the storms and the impacts could been seen through New Year’s Day and into the coming weekend.
According to flight tracking website, FlightAware, there have been 631 delays and 201 cancellations as of 10am into or out of the United States.
The Point Guys reports that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all issued travel waivers for flights in the Upper Midwest for Saturday and Sunday.