A HUGE winter storm dropped a foot or more of snow in several northern states, after slamming the Southeast over the weekend.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled, and tens of thousands of northeastern residents lost power.
The northeast corner of Ohio recorded 25 inches of snow, and forecasters in Buffalo, New York, recorded 18 inches by 1pm Monday.
The southeast was hit hard by the storm over the weekend, with nearly 200,000 power outages reported.
The storm, named Izzy by The Weather Channel, has poured down on the East Coast with intense ice, snow, wind, and rain.
As of Sunday night, 260,000 power outages were reported, 3,000 flights were canceled, and five states declared emergency.
The storm should end after its stint in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, which has gone into Monday.
Heavy snow is forecast in the Northeast region with up to 18 inches by late Monday.
Read our snowstorm Izzy live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Carsen Holaday
North Carolina hit hard
Flat Rock, North Carolina got a direct hit from Winter Storm Izzy.
It snowed 15 and a half inches, according to local reports on Sunday night.
The snowstorm knocked out power to more than 70,000 homes at one point, McClatchy News reported.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged people to stay home as snowfall picked up throughout the day on Sunday.
- Carsen Holaday
New York snow plows in action
A plow in Albany was photographed reloading Monday morning.
The NYS Thruway Authority warned travelers to maintain a safe distance from the plows as they work to clear the roads.
- Carsen Holaday
Midwest saw snow on Friday
Heavy snow spread Friday across a large swath of the Midwest, where travel conditions deteriorated and scores of schools closed or moved to online instruction.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa and Illinois, where forecasters were expecting up to 10 inches (24 centimeters) of fresh snow.
“This snow will combine with gusty winds to produce slippery, snow covered roads and significantly reduced visibility,” the Weather Service said on Twitter. “Travel will likely become hazardous to dangerous at times.”
- Carsen Holaday
Safety tips
The South Carolina Department of Emergency Management shared some driving safety tips and winter storm advice ahead of Izzy’s arrival:
Avoid unnecessary travel in affected areas.
If you must travel, be sure your vehicle is working properly, your cell phone is fully charged, and extra blankets and snacks are packed in case of delays.
- Carsen Holaday
Winter storm names
These are the names the Weather Channel chose for winter storms during the 2021 to 2022 season:
- Atticus
- Bankston
- Carrie
- Delphine
- Elmer
- Frida
- Garrett
- Hatcher
- Izzy
- Jasper
- Kenan
- Landon
- Miles
- Nancy
- Oaklee
- Phyllis
- Quinlan
- Rachel
- Silas
- Tad
- Usher
- Vega
- Willow
- Xandy
- Yeager
- Zion
Picking names
The Weather Channel chooses names for snowstorms, and explained the process on its website.
“The names will be used in alphabetical order to identify winter storms that meet objective naming criteria based on National Weather Service winter storm warnings, blizzard warnings and ice storm warnings,” the outlet noted.
Who names snowstorms?
The Weather Channel names snowstorms.
The outlet noted that the 2021-22 season is the 10th season The Weather Channel will be naming winter storms.
No-snow streak ended
Atlanta, Georgia was hit by the storm.
The snowfall ended the city’s almost four-year streak without measurable snow.
‘U-Shaped track’
The Weather Channel warned of the unique path winter storm Izzy could take this weekend.
“With cold air much more widespread and an active jet stream plunging southward across the eastern two-thirds of the nation during the heart of winter, the stage is set for this winter storm to take a U-shaped track from the Northern Plains to New England this weekend into Monday,” the outlet reported.
- Carsen Holaday
Southeast region’s snowfall totals
These are the towns and cities in the Southewast that have received the most snowfall so far, according to the Weather Channel.
Brevard, NC is in first place with 10 inches.
Scarly, NC received 8 inches.
Boiling Springs and and Mountain Rest, both in South Carolina, saw 6 inches.
And Clarkesville, GA received 5.6 inches.
- Carsen Holaday
Footage of the storm
Snowstorm Izzy made its way to Iowa Friday night, as footage below shows the snow piling the streets.
- Carsen Holaday
‘Near zero’ visibility in Appalachia
AccuWeather predicts snowfall up to 18 inches in parts of the Northeast.
Winter storm Izzy will hit in a “fast and furious” blitz with over a foot of snow.
The snow is likely to cause major travel problems.
“Over the Appalachians, snow will fall at the rate of 1-3 inches per hour with blowing and drifting snow that can reduce the visibility to near zero at times,” said the outlet.
- Carsen Holaday
Several airlines issued travel waivers
CNN’s Pete Muntean reported Southwest, United, Delta, and American Airlines all issued travel waivers ahead of this weekend’s winter storm.
Weather forecasters are predicting debilitating snow and ice across the United States.
American Airlines published a travel alert for 21 states, DC, and Canada that will allow customers “to rebook without change fees.”
- Carsen Holaday
Severe winds through New York, Connecticut
The National Weather Service says wind gusts over 60 mph were recorded early Monday morning along Eastern coasts.
The highest winds included 69 mph at Fire Island and 68 mph in Greenwich.
- Carsen Holaday
North Carolina's emergency order
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed an emergency order and the administration urged people to stay at home through the weekend.
The state highway agency warned that labor shortages meant crews might not respond to problems areas as quickly as normal.
“We just don’t have as many people to drive the trucks or operate the equipment,” said Marcus Thompson, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
- Carsen Holaday
Georgia governor: ‘stay home’
Georgia governor Brian Kemp took to Twitter with a message for residents of the state.
“If you’re able tonight and tomorrow morning, stay home and off the roads,” Kemp said in the tweet.
In the brief video, Kemp, in front of a snowy backdrop, warned about freezing rain and sleet, as well as black ice and downed power lines.
“A big thanks to all our partners who are working around the clock to keep Georgians safe,” he added.
The Georgia Department of Transportation re-shared his message, emphasizing that Georgians should “stay off the roads tonight into Monday morning.”
- Carsen Holaday
Iowa sees heavy snowfall
Iowa has seen significant snowfall, with 14.3 inches of snow recorded at Des Moines International Airport.
The Weather Channel said Des Moines is facing its “biggest January snow storm in 51 years.”
- Carsen Holaday
‘Get ready’
“Get ready, a major snowstorm is coming,” warned AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
The storm, named Izzy by The Weather Channel, is predicted to affect tens of millions of people over the next few days with intense ice, snow, wind, and rain.
There will be “major travel headaches” from North Dakota all the way down to northern Georgia and sprawling back up to Maine, says The Weather Channel.
- Carsen Holaday
Snowfall by state
The National Weather Service's Eastern Region tweeted out a look at the highest snowfall totals for each state in Winter Storm Izzy.
- Carsen Holaday
North and South Carolina hit hard
North Carolina recorded 34,566 power outages, and South Carolina saw 31,922., according to poweroutage.us.
Some parts of North Carolina saw as much as 10 inches of snowfall, according to reports.
The National Guard was deployed in South Carolina to help the state with its clean up efforts.
“At the direction of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, the South Carolina National Guard has activated approximately 120 service members to be available to support our state partners in response to the winter weather impacting areas of the state,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Van McCarty said in a statement Sunday.
McCarty is the adjutant general of South Carolina.
- Carsen Holaday
What is a winter weather warning?
A winter weather warning indicates that a storm is more than likely in your area, and you should take action immediately.
Expect dangerous conditions and try to avoid travel.
- Carsen Holaday
What is a winter weather watch?
A winter weather watch indicates that there is potential for severe winter weather.
If a winter weather watch is issued, prepare for dangerous weather conditions.
- Carsen Holaday
What is a winter weather advisory?
A winter weather advisory is an indication that winter weather conditions are likely.
However, the conditions expected are not severe enough to warrant a warning.
- Carsen Holaday
Power outages across 10 states
Thousands of people were without power from Georgia to New York on Monday morning, according to poweroutage.us.
Around 9am on Monday, the top outages included more than 30,000 in both North and South Carolina; about 24,000 each in West Virginia and Georgia; more than 18,000 in Pennsylvania; about 14,000 in Kentucky and Virginia; and 11,000 in New York, according to the Weather Channel.
- Carsen Holaday
Keep hydrants clear in snow
Ahead of snowstorms in the northeast, a Rochester, NY fire department shared tips for keeping fire hydrants clear in the winter.
Remove snow and ice on the hydrant, and clear a perimeter around the hydrant.
A three-foot perimeter gives firefighters enough room to work.
Clear a path from the hydrant to the street, too.
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