ICYMI: Disruptive storms arrive at inopportune time across US, tornadoes spin across Louisiana and deadly earthquake rocks Albania
By
Staff, AccuWeather
Published Nov 29, 2019 9:36 PM EDT
As millions across the United States prepared to endure an extremely busy holiday travel period, a major storm system threatened to keep them apart from their families — and a delicious Turkey Day meal — a little while longer. Meanwhile, strong winds almost put a damper on the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, and tornadoes wreaked havoc in parts of the South. Here's a look back at the week in weather news.
Storm system hinders holiday travel across US
One thing that the last-minute Turkey Day travelers were probably not thankful for was the travel nightmare they encountered the day before Thanksgiving. A major storm system that stretched across the United States dumped a considerable amount of snow over some areas.
Central Nebraska to northern Wisconsin saw between 5-10 inches of snow, and in Minneapolis, the 6-12 inches that buried the city prompted officials to declare a snow emergency. If the heavy snow alone wasn’t headache enough, gusty winds of over 30 mph teamed up with it to trigger major travel delays as people headed home for the holiday.
Over 400 flight delays were reported at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thanksgiving Eve. And the roads were a mess across Minnesota with over 180 crashes happening between Tuesday night into the next morning. The strong winds hit Chicago, as well, and though the Windy City avoided snow, gusts of over 50 mph played a role in the delaying of almost 300 flights at O’Hare International Airport.
Earlier in the week, the same storm system dumped over 30 inches of snow in parts of Colorado. It began unfolding late Monday over the state, and it grew stronger overnight. Many of Denver’s residents woke up on Tuesday to between 6 and 12 inches of snow. That sounds like nothing compared to the whopping nearly 32 inches that fell over Pinewood Springs, Colorado, early Tuesday.
Nebraska and Iowa were also hit with snow. Travelers across the region had to deal with mounting flight cancellations and snow-clogged roads. Colorado State Police reported least one deadly crash on Interstate 70 early Tuesday, which shut down the roadway in both directions for some time.
Western US sees record-setting low pressure
Holiday travelers across the West saw impacts like snow, rain and gusty winds from a bomb cyclone on Tuesday. That night, the storm system came ashore over southern Oregon and Northern California, surpassing an all-time record low sea level pressure.
The barometric pressure of the storm dropped 48 millibars (mb) from 1,018 mb to 970 mb on Tuesday evening, doubling the 24-mb drop in 24 hours that meets the National Weather Service’s (NWS) criteria for bombogenesis.
Bad weather conditions impacted travel on I-5 in California and triggered crashes along I-80 along Donner Summit. Some spots felt powerful hurricane-force wind gusts, like in Acton, California, where winds reached 74 mph. In Crescent City, gusts as high as 80 mph ripped the roof off a local hardware store.
Deadly flooding inundates Italy, France and Greece
Parts of France, Italy and Greece were slammed with torrential rain and flooding this past week. The storm, called Cecilia by Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, hit the Iberian Peninsula last week with heavy rain and strong winds.
A man walks past a car moved by the force of flood water after storms in Kineta village, about 68 Kilometers (42 miles) west of Athens, Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
From Spain, it moved into southern France and northern Italy, killing multiple people. At least nine deaths were reported in France, Greece and Italy, according to the Associated Press (AP). Across parts of the region, rainfall amounts of 3-6 inches were reported. The storm triggered thousands of power outages and prompted hundreds to flee for safety.
In Northern Italy, people had to be rescued from a landslide that destroyed a road, and several dozen people in Greece needed saving in the midst of flooding and mudslides.
Winds don't damper Macy's parade, balloons allowed to fly
Windy weather did not thwart plans to fly the famed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s 16 balloons on Thursday after the New York Police Department gave the go-ahead.
The New York Times reported that inclement weather hasn’t grounded the parade’s balloons since 1971. A parade spokesperson said the balloons can only go up if sustained winds remain below 23 mph, and gusts aren’t expected to exceed 34 mph.
The storm that brought rain and snow into the midwestern U.S. on Wednesday ramped up winds in coastal areas of the Northeast, hence the cause for concern about winds on Thanksgiving Day.
Kammuri strengthens into a typhoon, threatens Philippines
Kammuri is on track to potentially impact the Philippines as a powerful typhoon by early next week, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. As of Saturday morning, local time, Kammuri, which is being called Tisoy in the Philippines, was the equivalent of a Category 2 Atlantic hurricane, with wind speeds of 90 mph.
If it impacts the Philippines, the country could be pounded with powerful winds exceeding 100 mph wherever the storm makes landfall. There could also be the chance of heavy, tropical downpours with flooding and mudslides as a result. AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting Manila and surrounding areas to be facing an extreme risk to lives and property.
2 hurt after tornadoes hit Mississippi, Louisiana
Tornadoes reportedly touched down in central Mississippi and northeast Louisiana on Wednesday. In Star, a town near Jackson, Mississippi, officials said between eight to 10 homes were left with damage. The NWS confirmed a tornado with peak winds of 120 mph touched down not far from the town, traveling 12 miles with a path as wide as 500 yards, WREG-TV reported.
An earlier storm near Baskin, Louisiana, also inflicted damage upon the area, and the NWS office in Jackson, Mississippi, later determined the cause to be an EF2 tornado.
“The tornado began southwest of town, moved across north Baskin, then paralleled LA 857,” the NWS office tweeted, adding that two people were injured in the tornado. They were hurt when the storm flipped a mobile home onto its roof. No one was said to be hurt in Mississippi.
Death toll rises after powerful earthquake rocks Albania
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Albania claimed at least 42 lives after it struck early Tuesday morning, local time, the AP reported. The quake occurred about 20 miles west of the capital city of Tirana around 4 a.m.
People stand next to a damaged building after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Durres, western Albania, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019 (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
Meanwhile, rescue efforts and the search for survivors continue following the devastating event, which left more than 750 people injured. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported two tremors over 5.0 magnitude on Wednesday, with another of 5.1 magnitude shaking the region on Thursday. The quake reportedly left over 2,000 people homeless.
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News / Weather News
ICYMI: Disruptive storms arrive at inopportune time across US, tornadoes spin across Louisiana and deadly earthquake rocks Albania
By Staff, AccuWeather
Published Nov 29, 2019 9:36 PM EDT
As millions across the United States prepared to endure an extremely busy holiday travel period, a major storm system threatened to keep them apart from their families — and a delicious Turkey Day meal — a little while longer. Meanwhile, strong winds almost put a damper on the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, and tornadoes wreaked havoc in parts of the South. Here's a look back at the week in weather news.
Storm system hinders holiday travel across US
One thing that the last-minute Turkey Day travelers were probably not thankful for was the travel nightmare they encountered the day before Thanksgiving. A major storm system that stretched across the United States dumped a considerable amount of snow over some areas.
Central Nebraska to northern Wisconsin saw between 5-10 inches of snow, and in Minneapolis, the 6-12 inches that buried the city prompted officials to declare a snow emergency. If the heavy snow alone wasn’t headache enough, gusty winds of over 30 mph teamed up with it to trigger major travel delays as people headed home for the holiday.
Over 400 flight delays were reported at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thanksgiving Eve. And the roads were a mess across Minnesota with over 180 crashes happening between Tuesday night into the next morning. The strong winds hit Chicago, as well, and though the Windy City avoided snow, gusts of over 50 mph played a role in the delaying of almost 300 flights at O’Hare International Airport.
Earlier in the week, the same storm system dumped over 30 inches of snow in parts of Colorado. It began unfolding late Monday over the state, and it grew stronger overnight. Many of Denver’s residents woke up on Tuesday to between 6 and 12 inches of snow. That sounds like nothing compared to the whopping nearly 32 inches that fell over Pinewood Springs, Colorado, early Tuesday.
Nebraska and Iowa were also hit with snow. Travelers across the region had to deal with mounting flight cancellations and snow-clogged roads. Colorado State Police reported least one deadly crash on Interstate 70 early Tuesday, which shut down the roadway in both directions for some time.
Western US sees record-setting low pressure
Holiday travelers across the West saw impacts like snow, rain and gusty winds from a bomb cyclone on Tuesday. That night, the storm system came ashore over southern Oregon and Northern California, surpassing an all-time record low sea level pressure.
The barometric pressure of the storm dropped 48 millibars (mb) from 1,018 mb to 970 mb on Tuesday evening, doubling the 24-mb drop in 24 hours that meets the National Weather Service’s (NWS) criteria for bombogenesis.
Bad weather conditions impacted travel on I-5 in California and triggered crashes along I-80 along Donner Summit. Some spots felt powerful hurricane-force wind gusts, like in Acton, California, where winds reached 74 mph. In Crescent City, gusts as high as 80 mph ripped the roof off a local hardware store.
Deadly flooding inundates Italy, France and Greece
Parts of France, Italy and Greece were slammed with torrential rain and flooding this past week. The storm, called Cecilia by Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, hit the Iberian Peninsula last week with heavy rain and strong winds.
A man walks past a car moved by the force of flood water after storms in Kineta village, about 68 Kilometers (42 miles) west of Athens, Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
From Spain, it moved into southern France and northern Italy, killing multiple people. At least nine deaths were reported in France, Greece and Italy, according to the Associated Press (AP). Across parts of the region, rainfall amounts of 3-6 inches were reported. The storm triggered thousands of power outages and prompted hundreds to flee for safety.
In Northern Italy, people had to be rescued from a landslide that destroyed a road, and several dozen people in Greece needed saving in the midst of flooding and mudslides.
Winds don't damper Macy's parade, balloons allowed to fly
Windy weather did not thwart plans to fly the famed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s 16 balloons on Thursday after the New York Police Department gave the go-ahead.
The New York Times reported that inclement weather hasn’t grounded the parade’s balloons since 1971. A parade spokesperson said the balloons can only go up if sustained winds remain below 23 mph, and gusts aren’t expected to exceed 34 mph.
The storm that brought rain and snow into the midwestern U.S. on Wednesday ramped up winds in coastal areas of the Northeast, hence the cause for concern about winds on Thanksgiving Day.
Kammuri strengthens into a typhoon, threatens Philippines
Kammuri is on track to potentially impact the Philippines as a powerful typhoon by early next week, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. As of Saturday morning, local time, Kammuri, which is being called Tisoy in the Philippines, was the equivalent of a Category 2 Atlantic hurricane, with wind speeds of 90 mph.
If it impacts the Philippines, the country could be pounded with powerful winds exceeding 100 mph wherever the storm makes landfall. There could also be the chance of heavy, tropical downpours with flooding and mudslides as a result. AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting Manila and surrounding areas to be facing an extreme risk to lives and property.
2 hurt after tornadoes hit Mississippi, Louisiana
Tornadoes reportedly touched down in central Mississippi and northeast Louisiana on Wednesday. In Star, a town near Jackson, Mississippi, officials said between eight to 10 homes were left with damage. The NWS confirmed a tornado with peak winds of 120 mph touched down not far from the town, traveling 12 miles with a path as wide as 500 yards, WREG-TV reported.
An earlier storm near Baskin, Louisiana, also inflicted damage upon the area, and the NWS office in Jackson, Mississippi, later determined the cause to be an EF2 tornado.
“The tornado began southwest of town, moved across north Baskin, then paralleled LA 857,” the NWS office tweeted, adding that two people were injured in the tornado. They were hurt when the storm flipped a mobile home onto its roof. No one was said to be hurt in Mississippi.
Death toll rises after powerful earthquake rocks Albania
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Albania claimed at least 42 lives after it struck early Tuesday morning, local time, the AP reported. The quake occurred about 20 miles west of the capital city of Tirana around 4 a.m.
People stand next to a damaged building after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Durres, western Albania, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019 (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
Meanwhile, rescue efforts and the search for survivors continue following the devastating event, which left more than 750 people injured. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported two tremors over 5.0 magnitude on Wednesday, with another of 5.1 magnitude shaking the region on Thursday. The quake reportedly left over 2,000 people homeless.
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