In central California, a tornado near a shopping center toppled trees, swept up cars, and sent many people to the hospital. The first-ever tornado warning was issued by authorities in San Francisco.
A huge ice storm in the Midwest states, severe weather advisories around Lake Tahoe, and heavy snow in upstate New York were among the hazardous circumstances that afflicted other parts of the United States.
Around 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, a tornado made landfall close to a retail center in Scotts Valley, California, which is roughly 70 miles south of San Francisco. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado flipped vehicles and knocked down utility lines and trees. Numerous people were hurt and transported to hospitals, according to the Scotts Valley Police Department.
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, a biker in Monterey, California, observes a big tree that fell over Sylan Road and knocked down electricity lines. (Photo by Nic Coury/AP)
Some trees in San Francisco fell on cars, streets, and roofs, causing damage. According to weather service meteorologist Dalton Behringer, the damage was caused by 80-mph straight-line winds rather than a tornado on Sunday.
The warning of a potential tornado in San Francisco was a first for the city, according to Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Monterey, California, office. He noted that no advance signal was issued prior to the previous tornado occurring almost 20 years ago.
Gass, who wasn’t present at the time, stated, “I would assume there wasn’t a clear signature on radar for a warning in 2005.”
Although few people in the area have basements, the swift-moving storm prompted warnings for locals to seek cover.
According to the weather service’s Reno, Nevada office, a wind gust of 112 mph was reported at the Mammoth Mountain resort south of Yosemite National Park, and heavy snow fell at various Lake Tahoe ski resorts. Mountaintops in the Sierra Nevada were expected to get up to three feet of snow.
Despite a snowstorm on Saturday, the Palisades Tahoe ski resort in California’s Tahoe Live music festival proceeded according to schedule. The festival’s website stated that Diplo and Lil Wayne would play on Sunday. Since Friday, the resort reported receiving 3.5 feet of snow. At least until Monday morning, the area was under an avalanche alert.
On Saturday, an 80-mile section of Interstate 80 between Applegate, California, and the Nevada border, just west of Reno, was closed. In the afternoon, the California Highway Patrol allowed passenger cars with chains or four-wheel drive and snow tires to reenter the road.
At least one person died as a result of the extreme weather across the Midwest. According to the Nebraska Washington County Sheriff’s office, a 57-year-old woman lost control of her pickup truck on Highway 30 close to Arlington and collided with an approaching truck, resulting in her death. The other motorist was slightly hurt.
As the afternoon temperatures increased to the point where the ice melted in most locations, businesses declared their intention to reopen late Saturday.
Dave Cousins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Davenport, Iowa, said that fortunately, some warmer air is flowing in behind this to make it temporary.
According to local news sites, the system brought rain and strong gusts on Saturday, causing tens of thousands of residents in western Washington state to lose power.
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