Americans brace for more extreme weather as winter’s bite returns

CHICAGO — A third of the United States faced the threat of severe weather on Wednesday as strong winds, snow and potential tornadoes threatened the Southeast, Ohio Valley and East Coast, while a fierce winter storm bore down on the Northwest.

A day after many Americans basked in a spell of summertime warmth in what is normally the coldest time of year, some 127 million people living in the eastern half of the nation were under wind advisories as colder weather returned. Gusts could reach 72 km per hour, the National Weather Service said.

In the Pacific Northwest, a massive winter storm threatened to bring coastal rains, heavy snow in inland regions and powerful winds through Friday. White-out conditions in some locations will make travel difficult, if not impossible, the NWS said.

“There is a high chance of substantial, long-lasting disruptions to daily life in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,” the NWS said in its forecast, referring to the range straddling eastern California.

In addition, potential tornadoes and damaging hail-producing thunderstorms were in the forecast in the Ohio Valley and 15 cm of snow was expected in eastern and upper Michigan and upper New York, the service said.

Wednesday’s national forecast was a dramatic shift from the unseasonably warm temperatures many Americans in central United States experienced on Monday and Tuesday. Several spots in Texas experienced record-breaking temperatures ranging as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7°C) over the two days.