Sign outside Linville, North Carolina
Digital News Report- Winter weather has struck all regions of the United States over the weekend, save for extreme southern reaches in Florida and parts of Georgia. Rain, snow, and freezing or near freezing temperatures stretch from coast to coast as cold artic air drifts south across Canada.
Rain and near freezing temperatures have been striking California from San Diego all the way up to just north of the bay area. Showers are expected off and on all the way through Christmas all along the west coast. Overnight lows are expected to reach 32, so expect frost on your windshields when you wake up in the morning.
New Orleans, the home of jazz and Mardi Gras, has been blanketed with snow, along with several other nearby parishes and parts of Mississippi. A small amount of snow fell on December 24th, 2004, but the last significant snowfall was in 1989 with 1-2 inches. Nearly 7,000 power outages have been reported across Louisiana. In Alabama, heavy rains prompted forecasters to issue a flood watch for parts of the state.
New England has been plagued with power outages and freezing temperatures. Some residents have been without power since Thursday, December 11th. Red Cross chapters, along with local partners, have opened shelters in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.
“Unfortunately, ice storms are par for the course during the New England winter. But the Red Cross is always ready to give people a safe and warm place to go when there are widespread power outages like this,” said Joe Becker, senior vice president of Disaster Services.
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