One week before the official start of winter, much of the nation is mired in a bitter cold snap.
Arctic air has found its way into Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, with snow hitting those areas. Plunging temperatures and heavy snow has also blanketed the Pacific Northwest.
And in the upper Midwest and the Plains, much of the region is facing temperatures well below zero, reports Early Show meteorologist Dave Price. Denver set a record at minus 19.
Fourteen deaths nationwide have been blamed on the latest storms and ensuing cold, including a Ski Patrol member killed in an avalanche in Colorado.
A California Highway Patrol officer directing traffic around an accident in Hacienda Heights, east of Los Angeles, was hit by an out-of-control car, said patrol Officer Terry Liu. One person was killed in the San Diego area when an armored truck slid off a wet highway and rolled down an embankment.
Exposure probably killed an 87-year-old man found outside his Montana nursing home. Weather-related car accidents were responsible for a death in Illinois, two deaths each in North Dakota, Minnesota and Missouri, and three in Oklahoma.
Authorities said the storm also contributed to the death Sunday of a 61-year-old man who was washed off a jetty by large waves in Crescent City, Calif.*
At its height Monday, the storm triggered hundreds of fender-bender traffic accidents on freeways, highways and surface streets across California, Washington and Nevada.
Las Vegas got its first snowfall in five years, and the interstate leading into Vegas was shut down by a blizzard.
Los Angeles, with just two inches of rain since July, saw two inches fall in one day. Part of a roof collapsed at a trade school injuring 10 people.
And in Oregon, snow and bitter cold paralyzed downtown Portland, shutting down schools.
Among the record low temperatures yesterday: Bismarck, North Dakota (minus 18, with a wind chill of minus 42); Glasgow, Montana (31 below zero, and if you factor in the wind-chill, 45 below); and 15 degrees in Portland, Oregon.
*Not laughing, not sure why not.
If Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony were snowed out, I might laugh, though.
Comment by alppuccino on 12/16 @ 1:29 pm #
Exposure probably killed an 87-year-old man found outside his Montana nursing home.
Is Pamela Lee Anderson still exposing herself outside of nursing homes? Get a life Pam!
Comment by mojo on 12/16 @ 1:30 pm #
*Crescent City, on California’s “Lost Coast”, north of Eureka and south of Oregon. Average yearly rainfall above 300 inches – literally a “rain forest”.
There are two major sources of employment – fishing and Prison Guard.
Pelican Bay State Prison, Home of the SHU.
Comment by DarthRove on 12/16 @ 1:38 pm #
Look, over there! It’s a half man, half bear, half pig!! Salv us, Algore!!
Comment by JohnAnnArbor on 12/16 @ 1:49 pm #
As others have pointed out: Heat waves are global warming. Cold snaps are just weather. According to the anointed.
Comment by Thor's Spooge Stained Panties on 12/16 @ 2:01 pm #
Ironically, 2008 is on pace to be a slightly cooler year in a steadily rising temperature trend line. Experts say it’s thanks to a La Nina weather variation. While skeptics are already using it as evidence of some kind of cooling trend, it actually illustrates how fast the world is warming.
-AP
Up is Down, Cold is Hot.
Comment by BJTexs on 12/16 @ 2:06 pm #
She had been but was recently killed and eaten by an amorous male Black Bear who’s affections she attempted to rebuff … or meet, I can’t recall. The bear is now wearing her skin but ate the implants.
Comment by Dave S. on 12/16 @ 2:35 pm #
5 friggin’ inches of snow here in Las Vegas yesterday. I thought this was a desert! (???)
Comment by Roland THTG on 12/16 @ 2:48 pm #
Hay, it’s Global Warming out there!
Maybe 6 inches by tomorrow.
Comment by BJTexs on 12/16 @ 2:51 pm #
Dave S: As a lifelong resident of the Northeast all I can say to you is …
BWAAAA HAHAHAHA!!!!
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/16 @ 4:02 pm #
I hope Mr. Obama wears his gloves, scarf, and a hat. Can’t have him going all William H. Harrison on us.
Comment by kelly on 12/16 @ 4:19 pm #
Cold as witch’s tit in a brass bra where I live. Daytime high tomorrow: 8 degrees F. Three to six inches of global warming coming Fri. Yeehaw.
Comment by kelly on 12/16 @ 5:23 pm #
Watch for the weasel words, “is consistent with.” As in “The cold snap blanketing the country is consistent with global warming models.”
Comment by Carin on 12/16 @ 6:36 pm #
Fucking freezing here in Michigan. We had ice fishermen out on the lake last weekend. It’s not even officially WINTER and I’ve got people playing on the ice.
Comment by thor on 12/16 @ 6:46 pm #
We’re warehousin’ your sunshine.
Comment by B Moe on 12/16 @ 7:05 pm #
There are two major sources of employment – fishing and Prison Guard.
I knew some free range horticulturists who did pretty well for themselves up there abouts.
Comment by Spiny Norman on 12/16 @ 7:56 pm #
Or it will be once they revise their computer climate models. Again. And again…
Comment by Seth Williams on 12/16 @ 7:58 pm #
Here in NH, there’s still nearly 100,000 people without power after last weeks ice storm…down from a high of about 400,000. Followed by two days of temperatures in the 50’s, followed by temperatures in the 20’s this evening with a forecast of snow and sleet from midnight into the next day. Welcome to weather in NH…just like it’s always been: unpredicatable and against expected type.
Comment by SporkLift Driver on 12/16 @ 8:13 pm #
You know if sea level hadn’t risen so much in the last 8 years the waves wouldn’t have gone over the top of the jetty.
/moonbat
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/16 @ 8:17 pm #
This trend has to continue, until there’s actually a cold day in hell…
Because that’s when Al Gore’s gonna actually admit that this is all a scam…
Also, a lot of other cool stuff will happen that day too; but I’ll have to live up to a lot of brash promises myself…
Comment by happyfeet on 12/16 @ 8:32 pm #
It’s cold in here cause I left the windows open all day.
I bet that nursing home gets sued.
It’s neat having weather I think, but I don’t have a big commute either.
Al Gore is getting more and more lugubriouser every day I think.
Comment by happyfeet on 12/16 @ 8:32 pm #
that was almost a whole Larry King column
Comment by meya on 12/16 @ 8:49 pm #
If this weather commentary keeps up we’ll really have established some hot cred for climate talk here.
Comment by Rebecca on 12/16 @ 10:53 pm #
What kind of pussy needs “cred” to have an opinion?
Nine out of ten dentists were surveyed, so let’s have taxpayer subsidized chewing gum.