North America has been hit by disastrous weather recently. This last week has seen North America hit by a bizarre mix of blizzards, heat waves and tornadoes.
An icy storm has caused chaos and disruption in parts of the USA. Over half the country received winter weather warnings in February, with around 75 million people situated in; 28 states have also been placed under alert.
Northern states have been particularly affected by blizzards, with schools and businesses being forced to shut in some states. States such as Nebraska experienced up to two feet of snow, the most seen there in this century.
The storm made its way across to the north-eastern states, with parts of New York and New Hampshire experiencing snow. The storm system travelled 1,300 miles between Nebraska and New Hampshire.
Although usually mild and sunny throughout winter, even California experienced some snow. In a rare case of winter weather in the state, 51,000 were without power in early March.
The San Bernardino mountains experienced a worrying 7 ft of snow, with residents being snowed in and cars buried. The governor of California Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in 13 counties.
The record-breaking snow also caused Yosemite National Park to be closed indefinitely. Avalanche warnings were also put in the Sierra Nevada mountain range due to reports of intensifying blizzards.
Canada was not immune to the storm, with large parts of the country being under weather alerts. Toronto is seeing snow, ice and rain in March. Disruptions followed, with Air Canada cancelling a quarter of its scheduled flights by the 22nd of February.
In a strange contrast, the USA also experienced rare and record breaking heat in February. Temperatures in McAllen, Texas were reported as 95 degrees Fahrenheit – a tropical 35 degrees Celsius.
Washington DC saw temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking a record set in 1874. Orlando, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana saw even higher temperatures, 90F for Orlando and 84F in New Orleans.
This pattern was recorded all winter, according to Columbia University researcher and climate scientist Andrew Rudzewicz, who said that “where the western US is seeing below-average temperatures and the eastern US is seeing above-average temperatures”.
The brutal weather continued in the United States, as Southern and Central states fell victim to tornados. Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma were all affected by twisters.
Oklahoma, the state most affected by the weather, recorded 7 tornados on the 26th of February. Tragically, one of these tornados resulted in the death of a 62 year old Billy Trammel, according to local media. At least 12 people were also reported as being injured
Near the Oklahoma border, in Northern Texas, winds of up to 114 mph were recorded, this is the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane. Video footage saw the hurricane’s rampage, with cars overturned and the roofs of homes collapsed.