Key Facts Of The Day 2/24

Storms and Flooding

• As of Friday morning, a storm threatened rain and snow across the west and prompted rare blizzard warnings in Southern California.
  • In its first-ever blizzard warning, the National Weather Service in San Diego said the San Bernardino County mountains could see 3 to 5 feet of snow through Saturday morning.
  • Blizzard warnings were also issued for Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Saturday afternoon. Up to 5 feet of snow is possible, with some isolated areas seeing between 7 and 8 feet.
  • The storm put more than 20 million people under flood watches and more than 30 million under high wind alerts across Southern California.
  • As of Friday morning, more than 122,000 homes and businesses were without power in California.
  • There is also a high risk for avalanches across the Sierra Nevada on Friday.
  • On Thursday, the storm paralyzed parts of Oregon, trapping motorists for hours while others abandoned their vehicles on the side of the road.
  • On Wednesday, the storm produced 10.8 inches of snow in Portland, giving the city its second snowiest day ever recorded.
• This week’s multiday winter storm wreaked havoc in several states across the West, northern Great Plains, the Great Lakes region, and New England.
  • Several counties in Wyoming went into search-and-rescue mode after more than 40 inches of snow fell in the southern parts of the state for several days, and motorists were trapped in heavy snow.
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota, saw more than 13 inches in a three-day period this week.
    • More than 160 vehicle crashes were reported statewide, and dozens of cars spun off roads Wednesday.
  • As of Friday morning, more than 724,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Michigan.

Wildfire

• As of February 24, there are currently 2  large active wildfires that have burned 1,496 acres across the country.
• As of February 24, 3,485 wildfires have burned 28,701 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• This week, the Southeast recorded over 50 daily record highs.
  • On Thursday, St. Simons Island, Georgia, saw a high temperature of 88 degrees, an all-time February record.
  • On Thursday, Tupelo, Mississippi, reached a high temperature of 87 degrees, another all-time February record.
  • On Thursday, Raleigh, North Carolina, saw a high temperature of 85 degrees, an all-time February record.
  • On Wednesday, Atlanta, Georgia, hit 81 degrees —an all-time record high for February and the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city during winter.

New Reports and Data

• A February 2023 study found that more frequent atmospheric rivers slow the seasonal recovery of Arctic sea ice.
• A February 2023 study found that as sea ice declines in the Arctic, bowhead whales adjust their migration patterns, which could affect the long-term health of the whales and impact the Indigenous communities that rely on the whales.
• A February 2023 study found that the world’s forests are losing their ability to absorb carbon due to increasingly ‘unstable’ conditions caused by humans.