CNN
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The eastbound section of Interstate 70 in Colorado has reopened, according to the State Department of Transportation. After a nine-hour shutdown, drivers were stranded in heavy snow in the mountains, widespread rain and gusts of wind that continued to blow west. Central US.
Much of the West is again under winter weather warnings as wet winter conditions this week flooded roads, blew hurricane force winds, powering thousands in Oregon, killing five After that, prepare for the next round.
The storm hitting Colorado is expected to move out of the area Thursday morning, bringing patches of wet snow and isolated rain to Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa in the evening. It will pass through Minneapolis and will have a mix of rain, snow and ice overnight.
Meanwhile, more than 16 million people in parts of California and Nevada were under flood watch Thursday morning as new storms are expected within days along the West Coast. They include San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland and Reno.
Colorado weather urged states to announce safety closures Along I-70 near Silverthorne on Wednesday about 8pm ET.
“Colorado had light rain and freezing temperatures all day yesterday, but then the rain turned to snow and the roads froze almost instantly,” said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. “Drivers were caught off guard by the snow and ice that piled up.”
Stormchaser’s Aaron Rigsby said his tow trailer got stuck on the interstate, causing traffic jams and other vehicles struggling to gain traction on the steep grades.
A packed charter bus had to be rescued, and at one point dozens of vehicles had veered off the road with people sleeping inside, Rigsby told CNN what he saw.
“After four to six hours, we see dramatic changes in people’s tone of voice and attitude,” Rigsby added. Emotions, he said, went from “this is kinda cool” to “how long are we going to be stuck here” to “do we have enough fuel?”
Elsewhere, state police said five people, including a 4-year-old girl, died after dangerous conditions erupted in Oregon on Tuesday after a tree fell over a passing vehicle in bad weather. Wind gusts across the state exceeded 100 mph in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.
A powerful atmospheric river — a long, narrow region in the atmosphere that can carry moisture thousands of miles — will continue to attack the western and central United States after the first round of moisture moved east on Thursday. Predicted.
A new round of rain and mountain snow will flood the coast Friday before moving into Southern California and the Southwest over the weekend.
The Denver and Boulder areas saw as much as two inches of snow per hour as the first wave of moisture blanketed Colorado Wednesday night.
As of Thursday, Boulder had more than 9 inches of snow, with Denver International Airport reporting 7.1 inches.
“Heavy snow can build up on tree branches and power lines, causing them to snap off and lead to power outages. Plan for slippery road conditions. Hazardous conditions may affect Thursday morning commute.” Boulder’s National Weather Service warned.
Meanwhile, a new paroxysm of moisture is expected to hit the west coast on Thursday morning, followed by a stronger surge that will bring heavy rains into the evening. The storm system is expected to remain concentrated in northern California, southern Oregon and northern Nevada from Thursday evening through Saturday morning, before eventually shifting to southern California and the Four Corners area through the rest of the weekend. increase.
Snowfall for most of the west over the next 5 days is expected to be 1-7 inches in lower elevations and 1-2 feet in higher elevations. In some isolated areas it may be visible over 2 feet.
The drought-stricken region is taking a brief respite as much of central California and northeastern Nevada have already seen up to 2 inches of rain, with some highlands seeing up to 4 inches. I am receiving An additional 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall in these areas by Saturday, with as much as 6 inches likely in the higher elevations.
The US National Weather Service has issued a warning that parts of Northern California may experience several days of excessive rainfall.
