Winter storm Olive – live: Historic snow and ice grips Midwest as 90,000 in California without power

Winter Storm Olive tightened its grip across large parts of the United States on Wednesday with heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, and powerful winds.

Nearly 90,000 Californians were without power and major highways closed from the Southwest to the Plains as the brutal conditions were expected to continue through the end of this week.

Schools were shuttered in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin while public officials warned people to keep off the roads due to dangerous whiteout conditions and snow squalls.

“Difficult to impossible travel across wide swaths of the US,” the National Weather Service warned.

Flight woes continued to mount up on Wednesday afternoon. Total delays in the US topped 3,300 flights, according to the travel site FlightAware, with more than 1,400 cancellations.

In the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, heavy snow was coming down on Wednesday afternoon after a brief respite.

A slew of weather warnings, watches and advisories were issued in nearly two dozen states with forecasts sounding the alarm on severe impacts from coast to coast.

But there were wild extremes in conditions from region to region. Record daily highs were registered in south Florida while bitterly cold wind chills, some 20-30 degrees below zero, are expected across the Northern Plains.

Follow the latest updates below

Key points so far

• Half a dozen states were largely shut down on Wednesday

• Schools closed in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin

• Weather warnings and advisories issued in two dozen states by the National Weather Service

Storm waves strike California’s beaches

22:11 , Louise Boyle

Storm to bring high winds to Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada

21:50 , Louise Boyle

A winter storm making its way through the western US is expected to carry winds capable of downing power lines and trees in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, while dropping rain and snow, The Associated Press reported.

Gusts could hit 55mph in metropolitan Phoenix on Wednesday and even higher in Prescott and Flagstaff to the north, at 70 mph, the National Weather Service said.

Up to a foot of snow is expected by Thursday morning in elevations above 5,000 feet in Arizona, forecasters said.

Some schools in Flagstaff announced closures ahead of the storm that’s expected to hit Arizona on Tuesday night. Weather forecasters and local and state officials encouraged drivers to stay off the roads.

“Damaging winds and treacherous to impossible driving conditions are expected due to blowing dust and snow,” the weather service in Flagstaff said.

The storm system will carry over into New Mexico with high winds, rain and possibly snow across the state Wednesday, including in the Albuquerque area.

A high wind warning is in effect for most of New Mexico through Thursday morning, with wind gusts of up to 70 mph, the weather service there said.

Associated Press

Watch: Wild weather blasts Southern California amid rare blizzard warning

21:30 , Louise Boyle

Which parts of the country will have most severe impacts from Winter Storm Olive?

21:10 , Louise Boyle

The National Weather Service has issued a “Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI)” Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, showing where moderate, major and extreme winter weather impacts are expected from the West Coast to New England.

The NWS also noted that travel is not advised in the Upper Midwest due to blizzard conditions.

Thousands of Californians plunged into darkness due to fire

20:50 , Louise Boyle

With more severe weather forecast for California, residents in Oakland had already had their share of issues after being left in the dark due to a fire earlier this week.

The blaze at a PG&E substation caused widespread power outages in the region when it broke out on Sunday and damaged a transformer.

Graig Graziosi has more at the link below.

Thousands of California residents plunged into darkness after fire at PG&E substation

Winter Storm Olive in pictures: Shivering from state to state (part II)

20:31 , Louise Boyle

For those without snow - there’s rain and strong winds

20:10 , Louise Boyle

Widespread showers and thunderstorms were on the radar for those not being pummelled by heavy snowfall, the National Weather Service said on Wednesday.

There is a slight risk of excessive rainfall from northeast Missouri into northern Illinois, northern Indiana, and southern Michigan and some spots of flash flooding.

Severe weather was also a risk from central Oklahoma northeast through central Missouri with blustery winds. Gusts of 35-45 mph are possible for the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

Parts of the west and High Plains will experience strong winds of 50-60 mph too, and as high as 80 mph in some locations. The risk of weather that can spark fires will be elevated across the southern High Plains.

Pictured: Winter Storm Olive

19:51 , Louise Boyle

UK supermarkets ration fruit and vegetables after suppliers badly hit by winter weather

19:33 , Louise Boyle

In the UK, grocery stores are rationing fresh food items in a move that is expected to last weeks.

A poor harvest in Europe means that major supermarket chain Asda is now limiting customers to a maximum of three items like peppers, lettuce and broccoli.

Morrisons supermarkets will also start a ban of more than two items this week, with limited produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

Supplies from Britain’s major winter source, Spain, have also been badly affected by weather.

Growers and suppliers in Morocco also have had to contend with cold temperatures, heavy rain, flooding and cancelled ferries over the past three to four weeks – all of which have affected the volume of fruit reaching Britain.

Rich Booth and Eleanor Noyce report.

Supermarket issues warning as it rations fruit and vegetables

Winter Storm Olive in pictures: Shivering from state to state

19:10 , Louise Boyle

‘An axis of heavy snow'

18:51 , Louise Boyle

The arrival of a large arctic air mass from Canada was delivering an “axis of heavy snow” to many parts of the northern US, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported on Wednesday.

The snow will continue to move east across the Northern Plains into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes today.

More than a foot of snowfall is likely from South Dakota heading east throught southern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, NWS reported.

Southern Minnesota could see two feet of snow, forecasters said, amid dangerous blizzard conditions on roads and possible power outages.

Snow will start making an appearance in the Northeast and New England late on Wednesday into Thursday.

An estimated four to eight inches of snow is forecast from Upstate New York into central New England. Over a foot is possible at higher elevations in New York’s Adirondacks and the Green and White Mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont.

More than 1,000 flights cancelled over historic winter storm - here’s what you need to know

18:33 , Louise Boyle

More than 1,000 flights have been cancelled in the United States as a severe winter storm brings heavy snowfall and dangerous whiteout conditions to parts of the country.

The storm, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue weather warnings in more than two dozen states, began Tuesday and is set to worsen Wednesday as it stretches from coast to coast.

The winter storm has already impacted travel, with flight tracking site FlightAware reporting that more than 1,100 flights were already cancelled in the US Wednesday morning. An additional 1,382 were delayed as of 10.54am ET.

Chelsea Ritschel reports.

How can you find out whether your flight is cancelled and what are your rights?

Winter storm in pictures: Snow plows on the move

18:09 , Louise Boyle

Three killed in avalanche in Cascade Mountains as heavy snow blocks rescuers

17:49 , Louise Boyle

Heavy snowfall and high winds on Tuesday kept searchers away from a remote, jagged peak in Washington’s Cascade Mountains, where an avalanche killed three climbers from the northeastern US over the weekend.

The slide struck Sunday as a group of six climbers were ascending a steep, snow-packed gulley on the 8,705-foot Colchuck Peak, about 70 miles east of Seattle in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Chelan County sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Reinfeld said Tuesday.

Four of the climbers were swept about 500 feet down the slope. One of the four survived, a 56-year-old man from New York, and despite some injuries he was able to confirm that the other three were killed before working his way back to their base camp at Colchuck Lake, Mr Reinfeld said.

Three killed in avalanche in Cascade Mountains as heavy snow blocks body recovery

AP

North of the border, more winter storm warnings

17:31 , Louise Boyle

North of the border, Canadians were also receiving alerts due to the severe winter weather conditions caused by the Arctic blast.

Toronto was under a winter storm warning on Wednesday with up to 12 inches of snow possible in the Ontario city by Thursday night, CTV reported.

Winter weather makes travel hazardous in Arizona

17:10 , Louise Boyle

Arizonans were being strongly advised against getting on the road on Wednesday by the state’s department of transport as they shared pictures of whiteout conditions caused by the storm.

Crews were removing downed trees from the Arizona 260, a scenic highway running east–west through the middle of the state.

“If you do decide to travel, be prepared for lengthy delays due to impassable roads,” the transport department tweeted.

Watch: Weather forecast as coast-to-coast storm hits the US

16:52 , Louise Boyle

Businesses, schools shuttered and roads closed

16:33 , Louise Boyle

Many schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off for Wednesday, ahead of the storm, The Associated Press reports.

Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem shut down state executive branch offices in several parts of the state, and employees were working remotely.

In Wyoming, virtually every road was impacted, and many were closed. Officials warned they may stay that way for days.

Associated Press

While the Midwest shivers, record-breaking heat in Florida

16:18 , Louise Boyle

While temperatures plummeted in the northern half of the United States on Wednesday further south, daily high temperature records were being matched or broken.

In Marathon, Florida, the daily high temperature record was tied for the second day in a row as the town hit 86F on Tuesday.

St Paul sees dangerous whiteout conditions

16:07 , Louise Boyle

Flight cancellations pile up at US airports

15:53 , Louise Boyle

Travel woes were beginning to mount up at US airports on Wednesday morning as the severe weather conditions took hold.

More than 1,000 flights had been cancelled in the US and another 1,000 or so delayed, according to FlightAware.

The worst affected airports were in Minneapolis-St Paul, Denver and Detroit.

Twin cities to get slammed by historic storm

15:37 , Louise Boyle

In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, the first round of wintry conditions dropped three to five inches of snow across the area. The flurries will pick up in intensity by Wednesday afternoon, NWS reported.

The February record of 13.8 inches of snow from a single storm in Minneapolis “is likely to be smashed,” reported AccuWeather meteorologist Matt Benz.

California to get rare blizzard

15:33 , Louise Boyle

In California, a rare blizzard warning was issued for mountains in Los Angeles County and Ventura County from early on Friday morning until Saturday afternoon.

In the meantime, California can expect yet more rainfall after being deluged by a wave of atmospheric rivers at the beginning of the year.

Moderate rainfall, but heavy in some spots, and thunderstorms are forecast in the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday before moving south and settling over California on Thursday.