Winter storms leave 89 dead across US as chill settles over Great Lakes and Northeast

Stunning satellite footage from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University shows lake effect clouds forming over Lake Michigan on Tuesday.

Lake-effect snow falls when cold air from Canada moves across the Great Lakes, forming clouds that can produce two to three inches of snow per hour. Yesterday’s clouds, pictured in the satellite footage, blew over parts of Michigan and western New York, bringing several inches of snow to the region.

Two tornadoes touched down in southeast Florida on Monday, local outlet WPBF reports.

While only minor damages have been reported, according to WPBF, the tornadoes come after a devastating storm last week. Several tornadoes touched down throughout the state during Storm Finn, causing widespread damage to the Florida panhandle.

One of Monday’s tornadoes touched down in Stuart, Florida near a major roadway, according to footage captured by a driver, per WeatherNation.

14 people are suspected to have died as a result of an arctic blast that has swept across the US in recent days, according to media reports and local authorities.

In Portland, Oregon, county officials are investigating five possible hypothermia deaths, according to The Portland Tribune, with two more killed over the weekend when trees fell on their homes.

One man in White County, Arkansas died after crossing the centre lane while driving and crashing into a tree on Sunday, according to police records. Roads throughout the state were unsafe at the time due to snow and ice.

Officials in Mississippi said that one person had died while driving on Highway 49 just south of Silver City at around 8 pm local time on Sunday, while Tennessee reported one more weather-related death without giving any details.

And in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, three homeless men have been found dead with suspected hypothermia in the freezing cold streets over the past few days.

Meanwhile, a skier was killed by a 50-foot avalanche in Wyoming on Tuesday, CBS News reports, while the state was facing -40F (-40C) wind chills and winter weather advisories. This also marked the third avalanche-related death in the western US this year.

For the second week in a row, US airports are facing widespread delays and cancellations, while drivers nationwide face dangerous ice and snow.

More than 3,000 flights into, out of or within the US have been delayed so far today, with another 1,000 cancelled. This comes as no surprise and is in line with air travel trends since Winter Storm Finn first struck the US ten days ago.

Road travel isn’t proving to be a better alternative either, with ice and snow creating dangerous — and sometimes fatal — conditions for drivers.

One man in White County, Arkansas died after crossing the centre lane while driving and crashing into a tree on Sunday, according to police records. Roads throughout the state were unsafe at the time due to snow and ice.

Officials in Mississippi said that one person had died while driving on Highway 49 just south of Silver City at around 8 pm local time on Sunday, while Tennessee reported one more weather-related death without giving any details.

Road travel is also particularly precarious in the Pacific Northwest, where a quarter-inch of ice is covering Portland, Oregon and downed trees are scattered across the region.

In several states, officials are warning residents to use caution on the roads and to even stay home if possible.

Officials across the US have reported at least 24 weather-related deaths in recent days as arctic temperatures and heavy snow blow across the nation.

In Portland, Oregon, arctic cold and downed trees have killed at least eight people, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.

One man in White County, Arkansas died after crossing the centre lane while driving and crashing into a tree on Sunday, according to police records. Roads throughout the state were unsafe at the time due to snow and ice.

Three storm-related deaths were reported in Erie County, New York, officials told local outlet WIVB. A 64-year-old man died while shovelling snow, while a 57-year-old woman was found dead near her snowblower. A third man died following a hit-and-run car crash on Monday.

Meanwhile, seven people are dead in Tennessee after extreme winter weather hit the state earlier this week, The Tennesseean reports.

Officials in Mississippi said that one person had died while driving on Highway 49 just south of Silver City at around 8 pm local time on Sunday.

And in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, three homeless men have been found dead with suspected hypothermia in the freezing cold streets over the past few days.

Meanwhile, a skier was killed by a 50-foot avalanche in Wyoming on Tuesday, CBS News reports, while the state was facing -40F (-40C) wind chills and winter weather advisories. This also marked the third avalanche-related death in the western US this year.

Winter Storm Indigo has brought ice and snow to the Pacific Northwest and will continue to travel east this week, The Weather Channel reports.

Portland, Oregon is covered in a quarter-inch of ice, and more than 70,000 customers are without power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. Downed trees have also caused property damage, downed power lines, and even fatalities in some areas.

Storm Indigo will travel east and bring even more snowfall from Washington DC to New York later this week, The Weather Channel forecasts.

Iowa residents should expect 1-2 inches of dry snow and winds up to 30 miles-per-hour starting Thursday and going into Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Dry snow can easily be blown by wind, causing potential whiteouts and dangerous driving conditions.

This forecast comes as the state winds down from the Republican caucuses on Monday, when temperatures were below freezing with windchills. The Iowa caucus saw its lowest turnout in more than a decade, likely in part due to the extreme winter weather.

While arctic winds and snow might seem like quite the change after 2023, the hottest year on global record by a wide margin, this month’s weather patterns don’t indicate that global warming is getting better — or that there is no climate crisis.

Cold weather events can and still do occur as our planet warms, even as we approach the 1.5C (2.7F) temperature goal set by the global Paris Agreement to prevent the most harmful consequences of the climate crisis.

In fact, a warming climate can sometimes increase the likelihood of unusual cold weather events.

For example, climate change is responsible for increasing the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation, according to a widely-cited, peer-reviewed study from 2015.

Further, a warmer atmosphere can also hold more water, leading to more rain and snow, according to Climate Signals, a nonprofit that specializes in climate attribution research. New research also indicates a warming Arctic may lead to arctic air outbreaks in the US — just like what we’re seeing today across the country.

While we’re not yet clear on how climate change has impacted this specific storm spell, we do know this: This month’s storms do not indicate the climate crisis has disappeared.

Satellite imagery from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University shows Winter Storm Indigo swirling above the Pacific Northwest.

The storm brought a quarter-inch of ice to Portland and downed trees across the region. Arctic cold and downed trees have killed at least eight people, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.

The storm will now move east and is expected to bring several inches of snow to the northeast, from Washington DC to New York.