While the West Coast grappled with wintry weather, forecasters warned a new, powerful weather system will affect most of the lower 48 states this week. Over the past week, historic snowfall, ice and cold temperatures brought much of Portland, Oregon, to a standstill, trapping drivers on roads and highways, paralyzing government services and leading to at least two suspected hypothermia deaths. “I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere.” “We’ve been through some big storms … but this is just unreal,” David Góra said. They shovelled a small area to let their dogs go outside, but are mostly hunkered down. Cars remained buried under snow and roads closed.Īt David and Kelli Góra's home in Big Bear Lake, the snow on the roof is now touching the snow on the ground. Grocery shelves had run bare of some items, like bread, and were running low on eggs and milk Tuesday. Residents of these towns are grappling with so much snow they're running out of space to put it clearing one area adds heaps to another. “I woke up this morning and there was another two-and-a-half feet on them,” he said. He finally managed to clear his decks, but not for long. A key mountain section of Interstate 5, a major north-south highway, reopened Wednesday afternoon following closures due to snowy conditions, while blizzard warnings expired in the Sierra Nevada further north.Īnthony Cimino, a 51-year-old retiree, said he’s been snowed in for about a week in the mountain community of Running Springs. Reprieve was on the way as the mountain community continued to dig out, with much of California expecting drier weather on Thursday. About 80,000 people live either part- or full-time in the communities affected, said David Wert, a county spokesman. The San Bernardino Mountains are a major tourism and recreation destination but also home to a large year-round population in small cities and communities around lakes and scattered along winding roads. The county has set up a hotline for residents dealing with issues like frozen pipes, roof problems and food shortages. Climate Barometer newsletter: Sign up to keep your finger on the climate pulse.“There are other businesses that will likely be affected by the weight of the snow.” “We know that roofs are starting to collapse,” she said. Officials raced to salvage food that residents sorely need from its shelves. In Crestline, the entire roof of Goodwin and Sons Market collapsed Wednesday as safety inspectors were onsite checking up on reported damage. Emergency crews are trying to reach residents who need assistance. Residents are dealing with as much as 7 feet (2 metres) of snow, and sheriffs’ authorities have conducted 17 rescue operations to help off-roaders and skiers. In San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles, around-the-clock plowing is underway but it could take more than a week to reach some areas, said Dawn Rowe, chair of the county’s board of supervisors. Emergency crews in California scrambled Wednesday to shuttle food and medicine to mountain communities stranded by back-to-back winter storms that have dumped so much snow some residents can barely see out their windows.
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