The winter storm led to power outages and traffic chaos. Snow drifts in the mountains of Northern California blocked important highways and power poles fell over. Numerous flight connections had to be canceled due to icy runways. In the Sierra Nevada, according to the authorities, one meter of fresh snow fell within 24 hours, the total amount of snow reached a new record of 4.80 meters for the month of December. And the meteorologists expect even more snow. The National Weather Service in Reno issued a winter storm warning until early Tuesday morning (local time).
The fire department in Seattle on an emergency call to restore the power supply
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For the state of California, which is suffering from the effects of a drought that has lasted for years, the heavy snowfalls are a glimmer of hope because they could replenish the groundwater reserves. The amount of snow was “a pleasant surprise,” said scientist Andrea Schwartz from the Central Sierra Nevada Snow Laboratory at Berkeley University. It is still too early to declare the drought over, “but it looks like the western US is getting help with it.”
Winter has a firm grip on the western United States
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Emergency shelters were opened in the states of Oregon and Washington because it is said to be bitterly cold for several days. The Oregon authorities declared a state of emergency. Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Colorado are also affected by the extreme winter weather. However, further south, in Texas and Arizona, it is unusually warm for the time of year.
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