A tornado near a mall in central California destroyed automobiles, toppled trees, and took many people to the hospital. In San Francisco, officials issued the first tornado warning.
In other parts of the United States, inclement weather caused perilous circumstances such as heavy snow in upstate New York, a large ice storm in the Midwest, and severe weather warnings in Lake Tahoe.
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AP Audio: Storms throughout the US deliver heavy snow, treacherous ice, and a tornado in California.
According to AP journalist Julie Walker, storms throughout the United States have brought heavy snow, treacherous ice, and a tornado to California.
The ice storm that began Friday evening caused difficult driving conditions throughout Iowa and eastern Nebraska on Friday and into Saturday, prompting the temporary closure of Interstate 80 after multiple automobiles and trucks fell off the road. More than 33 inches (84 cm) of snow was recorded at Orchard Park in upstate New York, a popular landing spot for lake-effect snow.
Around 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, a tornado struck near a shopping center in Scotts Valley, California, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of San Francisco. The National Weather Service said that the tornado overturned automobiles and fell trees and power lines. The Scotts Valley Police Department said that numerous persons were hurt and sent to hospitals.
Some trees in San Francisco fell on vehicles, streets, and rooftops, causing damage. Weather service meteorologist Dalton Behringer said Sunday that the damage was caused by 80-mph (130-kph) straight-line winds, not a tornado.
Roger Gass, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Monterey, California, office, said the warning of a probable tornado in San Francisco was a first for the city, adding that an advanced signal was not sent before the previous tornado hit over 20 years earlier.
“I would guess that there wasn’t a clear signature on radar for a warning in 2005,” said Gass, who was not there at the time.
The fast-moving storm urged many to seek shelter, but few had basements in the region.
Heavy snow occurred at various Lake Tahoe ski resorts, and a wind gust of 112 mph (181 kph) was reported at the Mammoth Mountain resort south of Yosemite National Park, according to the meteorological service’s Reno office. Up to 3 feet (91 cm) of snow was expected on Sierra Nevada mountaintops.
Despite a snowfall on Saturday, the weekend Tahoe Live music event at Palisades Tahoe ski resort in California proceeded as scheduled. Lil Wayne and Diplo were slated to play on Sunday, according to the festival’s website. The resort reported that it had gotten 3.5 feet (1 meter) of snow since Friday. An avalanche warning remained in force until Monday AM in the region.
On Saturday, Interstate 80 was blocked from Applegate, California, to the Nevada boundary just west of Reno, a distance of 80 miles (130 kilometers). The California Highway Patrol reopened the route in the afternoon for passenger cars equipped with chains, four-wheel drive, and snow tires.
At least one person died as a consequence of the Midwest’s harsh weather. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Nebraska reported that a 57-year-old lady died after losing control of her pickup on Highway 30 near Arlington and colliding with an approaching vehicle. The other motorist suffered minor injuries.
Businesses announced intentions to open late Saturday as temperatures increased enough in the afternoon to melt the ice in most areas.
“Luckily, some warmer air is moving in behind this to make it temporary,” said Dave Cousins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Davenport, Iowa office.
Tens of thousands of residents in western Washington state lost power Saturday as a storm brought rain and strong gusts, according to local media.
