Where could voters face disruptive weather on Super Tuesday?
By
Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Feb 29, 2020 9:42 PM EDT
As Democratic candidates battle to become the selected presidential candidate, some voters may have to dodge stormy and severe weather at the polls.
Residents in middle Tennessee are waking up to destruction left behind a deadly tornado -- if they were able to get any sleep at all. And, AccuWeather forecasters warn that more dangerous storms could erupt in parts of the South on Tuesday.
"Violent storms shook parts of the South early Tuesday morning and there is the potential for more dangerous conditions through the day on Tuesday and into the evening hours before polls close," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
A tight race is expected this Super Tuesday between U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, reported by the latest polling data aggregated by the website FiveThirtyEight.
The Texas results show Sanders has the most support among likely primary voters, according to the Real Clear Politics, but wet weather and thunderstorms in Texas could potentially affect voter turnout and election results.
Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and former Vice President Joe Biden, right, participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Research conducted by AccuWeather shows a link between weather conditions and voter turnout, which impacts election results. AccuWeather found that uncomfortable conditions, such as frigid or hot and muggy weather, can deter swing voters in a 2016 analysis of overall weather trends and voting data, utilizing L2 as a resource.
Additionally, women were found to be more sensitive to cold conditions than men, and younger voters, aged 18 to 24, have higher turnout rates when the weather is sunny and warm.
California, Colorado,
Utah
Mostly dry and tranquil conditions will prevail across California, Utah, and Colorado as Americans head out to the polls.
“Temperatures will be slightly above normal across California, and some locations in interior parts of SoCal will be in the lower 80s, with 70s across the interior valleys in northern parts,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
Thermometers will show temperatures to be near normal across Utah in the 40s and lower 50s, forecasters predict.
“For Colorado, the temperature will be in the low to mid-50s in the eastern part of the state, while 40s and low 50s will be in western Colorado with 30s in the mountains,” Roys said.
Maine, Massachusetts,
Vermont
The storm system that is plaguing the mid-Atlantic into the Deep South and southern Plains will begin to move into New England during the afternoon on Tuesday with some rain arriving during those afternoon hours across Massachusetts and southern Vermont. It might be best for voters in that area to arrive at the polls early.
“The steadiest rain looks to be across western Massachusetts including Springfield and Pittsfield, while places like Worcester, Boston, Plymouth, Lowel and Rawsonville receive lighter rain,” Roys said.
However, forecasters said the incoming rain should not impact those going out to vote. It will be dry for those heading out to vote in Northern Vermont into Maine, but there will be limited amounts of sunshine.
“It
will be mild with temperatures in the 50s to around 60 in Massachusetts. Those
lower 50s will extend into southern Vermont into southern and coastal Maine.
The rest of Maine and Vermont will be in the mid to upper 40,” Roys said.
Minnesota
Those heading out to vote in Minnesota may need to get out their shovels because snow will spread across the northern section of the state, especially in the northeast including Duluth, Baudette and International Falls, on Tuesday morning.
Many locations will see a coating to an inch or two, according to Roys. Untreated paved surfaces will be slippery and could lead to treacherous travel. The rest of Minnesota will be mostly dry with more clouds than sun.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
“Temperatures will be in the low- to mid-30s across central and northern Minnesota, with upper 30s to lower 40s across southern Minnesota including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Mankato and Rochester,” Roys said.
Alabama,
Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia
Following a deadly and destructive tornado in middle Tennessee during early Tuesday morning, Nashville, Tennessee, public schools are closed for the day. However, election polling sites at schools were expected to remain open, according to school officials via the Associated Press. Some of the polls have delayed opening by an hour. In precincts that were directly affected by the tornado, voters can vote at Election Commission Offices, according to Jeff Roberts of the Elections Commission.
"The risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes has ended for the day in Nashville and much of middle Tennessee but the likelihood of heavy and gusty storms continues for eastern Tennessee as well as Alabama, central Texas, western North Carolina and western and northern Virginia, where voters will take to the polls," Sosnowski said.
This radar image taken at 7:35 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020, shows rain in green and yellow and thunderstorms in orange and red. (AccuWeather)
"A small number of the thunderstorms in these states can become severe with a remote chance of a tornado," he added.
Even in lieu of severe thunderstorms, torrential downpours can repeat and be slow-moving enough to cause street and highway flooding and impair visibility for motorists.
Drivers should remember to turn around if they see any flooded roadways. Roads in rural areas that cross or parallel small streams will be at risk for flooding in this situation.
Thunderstorms will pummel areas across central and southeastern Texas beginning late Tuesday and continuing through Tuesday night. Voters are encourage to vote early.
The majority of Southern Texas will be dry during the day on Tuesday with a mix of sun and clouds. The majority of Oklahoma will be largely dry with more clouds than sun.
“Temperatures will be in the 50s across northwestern Texas through northern Arkansas and across the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. 60s will be across central Texas to Virginia, including Tennessee, with 70s across south-central Texas through southern Alabama. Temperatures in the 80s will be confined to southern Texas,” Roys said.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather News
Where could voters face disruptive weather on Super Tuesday?
By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Feb 29, 2020 9:42 PM EDT
As Democratic candidates battle to become the selected presidential candidate, some voters may have to dodge stormy and severe weather at the polls.
Residents in middle Tennessee are waking up to destruction left behind a deadly tornado -- if they were able to get any sleep at all. And, AccuWeather forecasters warn that more dangerous storms could erupt in parts of the South on Tuesday.
"Violent storms shook parts of the South early Tuesday morning and there is the potential for more dangerous conditions through the day on Tuesday and into the evening hours before polls close," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
A tight race is expected this Super Tuesday between U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, reported by the latest polling data aggregated by the website FiveThirtyEight.
The Texas results show Sanders has the most support among likely primary voters, according to the Real Clear Politics, but wet weather and thunderstorms in Texas could potentially affect voter turnout and election results.
Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and former Vice President Joe Biden, right, participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Research conducted by AccuWeather shows a link between weather conditions and voter turnout, which impacts election results. AccuWeather found that uncomfortable conditions, such as frigid or hot and muggy weather, can deter swing voters in a 2016 analysis of overall weather trends and voting data, utilizing L2 as a resource.
Additionally, women were found to be more sensitive to cold conditions than men, and younger voters, aged 18 to 24, have higher turnout rates when the weather is sunny and warm.
California, Colorado, Utah
Mostly dry and tranquil conditions will prevail across California, Utah, and Colorado as Americans head out to the polls.
“Temperatures will be slightly above normal across California, and some locations in interior parts of SoCal will be in the lower 80s, with 70s across the interior valleys in northern parts,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
Thermometers will show temperatures to be near normal across Utah in the 40s and lower 50s, forecasters predict.
“For Colorado, the temperature will be in the low to mid-50s in the eastern part of the state, while 40s and low 50s will be in western Colorado with 30s in the mountains,” Roys said.
Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont
The storm system that is plaguing the mid-Atlantic into the Deep South and southern Plains will begin to move into New England during the afternoon on Tuesday with some rain arriving during those afternoon hours across Massachusetts and southern Vermont. It might be best for voters in that area to arrive at the polls early.
“The steadiest rain looks to be across western Massachusetts including Springfield and Pittsfield, while places like Worcester, Boston, Plymouth, Lowel and Rawsonville receive lighter rain,” Roys said.
However, forecasters said the incoming rain should not impact those going out to vote. It will be dry for those heading out to vote in Northern Vermont into Maine, but there will be limited amounts of sunshine.
“It will be mild with temperatures in the 50s to around 60 in Massachusetts. Those lower 50s will extend into southern Vermont into southern and coastal Maine. The rest of Maine and Vermont will be in the mid to upper 40,” Roys said.
Minnesota
Those heading out to vote in Minnesota may need to get out their shovels because snow will spread across the northern section of the state, especially in the northeast including Duluth, Baudette and International Falls, on Tuesday morning.
Many locations will see a coating to an inch or two, according to Roys. Untreated paved surfaces will be slippery and could lead to treacherous travel. The rest of Minnesota will be mostly dry with more clouds than sun.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
“Temperatures will be in the low- to mid-30s across central and northern Minnesota, with upper 30s to lower 40s across southern Minnesota including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Mankato and Rochester,” Roys said.
Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia
Following a deadly and destructive tornado in middle Tennessee during early Tuesday morning, Nashville, Tennessee, public schools are closed for the day. However, election polling sites at schools were expected to remain open, according to school officials via the Associated Press. Some of the polls have delayed opening by an hour. In precincts that were directly affected by the tornado, voters can vote at Election Commission Offices, according to Jeff Roberts of the Elections Commission.
"The risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes has ended for the day in Nashville and much of middle Tennessee but the likelihood of heavy and gusty storms continues for eastern Tennessee as well as Alabama, central Texas, western North Carolina and western and northern Virginia, where voters will take to the polls," Sosnowski said.
This radar image taken at 7:35 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020, shows rain in green and yellow and thunderstorms in orange and red. (AccuWeather)
"A small number of the thunderstorms in these states can become severe with a remote chance of a tornado," he added.
Even in lieu of severe thunderstorms, torrential downpours can repeat and be slow-moving enough to cause street and highway flooding and impair visibility for motorists.
Drivers should remember to turn around if they see any flooded roadways. Roads in rural areas that cross or parallel small streams will be at risk for flooding in this situation.
Thunderstorms will pummel areas across central and southeastern Texas beginning late Tuesday and continuing through Tuesday night. Voters are encourage to vote early.
The majority of Southern Texas will be dry during the day on Tuesday with a mix of sun and clouds. The majority of Oklahoma will be largely dry with more clouds than sun.
Related:
“Temperatures will be in the 50s across northwestern Texas through northern Arkansas and across the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. 60s will be across central Texas to Virginia, including Tennessee, with 70s across south-central Texas through southern Alabama. Temperatures in the 80s will be confined to southern Texas,” Roys said.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo