A snowstorm with severe wind gusts and freezing rain is impacting West Michigan, with first responders monitoring reports of felled trees and power lines. Many police agencies advise folks to keep off the roadways so that crews can work safely. According to the National Weather Service, precipitation that began Monday morning shifted to rain in the afternoon across the I-94 corridor and up to the southern boundary of I-96.
Several locations just north of I-96 are likely to get prolonged freezing rain and even snow into Monday night, according to the meteorological service. Sheriff’s deputies in Kent County have responded to reports of downed wires in Ada, Grattan, Oakfield, and Courtland townships.
At least one report of a downed power line was received shortly before 12:30 pm on Monday, according to the incident map of the sheriff’s office. The wintry combination is also generating problems for public safety agencies in Newaygo County.
Meanwhile, police are advising the public on safety precautions to take if the storm has caused damage in their neighborhood.
On February 22, Paw Paw fire lieutenant Ethan Quillen was electrocuted while responding to a complaint concerning a tree on a power line. Monday’s wintry mix arrives less than a week after a separate ice storm knocked out power to 650,000 Michigan residents.
Monday at 3 pm, DTE Energy personnel are still attempting to restore power to around 65,000 individuals who are still without energy. Consumers Energy is now working with about 78,000 outage-affected customers.
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Winter Storm Devastates Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma’s third-largest city, was damaged by an EF2 tornado, one of the nine confirmed tornadoes that ripped through Kansas and Oklahoma. According to the city, at least 12 individuals were hurt by the overnight tornado in Norman, although none of the injuries were life-threatening and no fatalities were reported.
Kevin Foster, chief of police in Norman, stated that drones are assisting with damage assessments on Monday. Foster stated that several roads and two Norman elementary schools had been closed due to flooding.
In Oklahoma City, wind gusts of 70 miles per hour and hail measuring 1 inch in diameter were observed. According to the National Weather Service, gusts of 114 mph were recorded in Memphis, Texas, near the state boundary with Oklahoma.
This is the same weather system that last week buried parts of California under 84 inches of snow and inundated others with more than 11 inches of rain. On Monday, around 60,000 consumers are without power in California.
After rushing across the Great Plains on Sunday night, the swiftly moving system will impact the Midwest on Monday afternoon and the Northeast by Monday evening. Strong thunderstorms, gusty winds, and tornadoes are likely in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and northern Kentucky. Illinois has already been hit by four tornadoes.
In Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, a combination of ice and snow is predicted. As a result of last week’s massive ice storm, over 190,000 people in Michigan are without power.
Monday night, the snow will begin falling in the Northeast. By Tuesday morning, snowfall rates in New Jersey, New York City, and Connecticut could approach 1 to 2 inches per hour. Monday night through Tuesday morning, New York City and Boston may receive 2 to 5 inches of snow. Hartford, Connecticut saw 4 to 7 inches of precipitation.
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