Winter conditions for large swaths of the United States expected early in the week: NPR

A mixture of winter weather conditions brings warnings and instructions For about 150 million A person running from the northwest down the Texas border to the northeastern United States early in the week.

Historic snowfall was recorded in Seattle on SaturdayAccording to the National Weather Service, with nearly 9 inches, the highest total recorded in the city since 1969. The city has also closed some coronavirus vaccination sites, but has kept testing centers open. To the south in Oregon, I mentioned Portland 10 inches of snow on a Saturday With, as reported by the Associated Press, the power is cut off About 200,000 residents In the area in the dark that night.

Snow and winter across the Pacific Northwest have caused major accidents and disruptions to transportation. The Oregon Department of Transportation noticed this Trees and power lines fell Due to the storm and snow, roads were closed throughout the state. The authorities also closed for a short period Part of Interstate 84 Passing through the Columbia Strait, citing snowfall and frozen roads. The highway reopened at least partially on Sunday.

The combination of treacherous weather and travel conditions prompted authorities to take action. Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency for Portland and Surrounding areas on Saturday. Alerts and warnings were kept in place For many Pacific Northwest During Sunday night until early Monday.

The National Weather Service said Sunday that parts of the northwest could brace for another storm system in the Pacific, which will bring some of the most intense snowfall to the Cascade Mountain Range. Parts of Idaho, Wyoming and the central Rocky Mountains can see more than one foot of snow, according to forecasters.

Winter conditions also affect large parts of the United States, extending – in a very rare event – across the south, including Texas where Governor Greg Abbott issued a declaration of disaster for all. The state’s 254 counties. As of Sunday afternoon, the entire state is under pressure Winter storm warningThis is the first time in a decade for some parts of the country. Abbott also said he would ask a Federal emergency declaration From the White House to provide additional resources.

“Every part of the state will face freezing conditions in the coming days, and I urge all Texans to be vigilant against the very severe weather coming,” Abbott said in a statement on Saturday.

In Houston, where the Associated Press has observed, the temperatures In the seventies Earlier this week, officials closed schools and warned residents to stay off the roads from Sunday night through Tuesday. The National Weather Service in Houston said parts of southeast Texas could see temperatures drop to one digit Tuesday morning, With chills near zero or below zero throughout the area.

The National Weather Service said occasional heavy snowfall would be common from New Mexico to the Mississippi Valley on Sunday, with some of the heaviest concentrations in central Oklahoma and the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico.

In addition, the service said areas stretching from the Texas coast to the Tennessee Valley will see large glacial accumulations until Monday, when the worst effects associated with the ice are expected. Ice conditions are also expected to extend across the northeast.

The Weather Service also predicts up to 12 inches of snowfall at Tuesday locations from central Oklahoma all the way through eastern Texas and into the northeast.