Heavy snow aims for Chicago, New York as winter travels east gazettextra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazettextra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
New York Prepares for Snow With California Drenched by Rain Bloomberg 1/28/2021 Brian K. Sullivan
(Bloomberg) The powerful weather system that is dumping rain on the California coast and threatening to trigger mudslides will make its way across the U.S., raising the chances for heavy snow in New York and Washington next week.
A winter storm with the potential for heavy snow will move along the East Coast likely starting Jan. 31 or Feb. 1, said Bob Oravec, a senior branch forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. The outlook for the cities along the coast isn’t completely clear because there is a chance rain may mix in and hold snow totals down in some areas.
Californiaâs Rare Winter Blackout Expands as Fire Threat Grows
By
January 19, 2021
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. workers prepare a power pole to replace one destroyed by the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Vacaville, California.
(Bloomberg) Utilities in California have cut power to nearly 30,000 homes and businesses to prevent live wires from sparking wildfires as high winds and usually warm temperatures leave the drought-weary state a potential tinderbox.
Edison Internationalâs Southern California Edison has shut off nearly 25,000 customers as gusts of up to 55 miles (88 kilometers) per hour batter the region and the high reaches 69 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius). PG&E Corp. has switched off about 5,000 customers in the southern part of the stateâs Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills.
California’s Changing Climate Gives New Fuel to Fire Season Bloomberg 1/20/2021 Mark Chediak and Brian K. Sullivan
(Bloomberg) California’s changing climate has pushed fire season to new lengths, triggering once-rare winter blackouts.
State utilities cut power to more than 72,000 homes and businesses Tuesday in a preemptive effort to prevent live wires from sparking wildfires as Santa Ana winds threaten to fan flames. Blazes are breaking out nonetheless, including in Santa Cruz County, where two fires are prompting evacuations.
While the Santa Ana winds usually die off by November, they’re increasingly extending further into winter, underscoring how wild California’s weather has become as climate change drives extreme heat and drought. Last year, record temperatures took down large swaths of the state’s power grid and wildfires torched more acreage than ever before.