Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Winter Storm Leo Responsible for One Death in Iowa as Dangerous Conditions Persist in Midwest

Sean Breslin and Ada Carr
Published: January 25,2017

Snow caused problems in the upper Midwest and accidents piled up as Winter Storm Leo moved east, and in Iowa, one death was reported on snowy, icy roads.
Officials announced some good news Wednesday morning: a stretch of Interstate 90 from Kadoka to Chamberlain, South Dakota – spanning more than 100 miles – was reopened, according to the state's Department of Transportation. The roadway was closed overnight due to dangerous travel conditions.
(MORE: Winter Storm Leo Forecast)
The storm system was responsible for several deaths in the West during its first stage, and Flagstaff, Arizona, reported nearly three feet of snow.

Wisconsin

Snow piled up quickly in parts of Wisconsin Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, which led to numerous accidents in the southern portion of the state, WKOW.com reported.
Schools in Madison, Tomah and Viroqua were closed Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Minnesota

Roads in southern Minnesota were treacherous Wednesday morning, and in Minneapolis, authorities responded to several crashes on snow-covered roads, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Iowa

Numerous accidents were reported Tuesday night in the Sioux City area, and officials expected to continue responding to such reports through Wednesday morning as conditions remained poor, the Sioux City Journal reported. East of Le Mars, a female driver died on icy Highway 3 when she lost control of her car and collided head-on with another vehicle, the report added. The woman's identity has not been released.
"We definitely had some accidents, cars in ditches, with the slick roadways. I think we have taken one person to the hospital with minor injuries since I came on shift a few hours ago," Police Sgt. Jim Cunningham told the Sioux City Journal. "But other than that, just a lot of slipping and sliding with cars in ditches right now and I only expect that to get worse."
(MORE: Pattern Change on the Horizon?)
Schools and government offices were closed as a result of the winter storm, the report added.

Nebraska

Roads in the northern half of the state were completely snow-covered Wednesday morning and travel was discouraged in those areas, according to the state's Department of Transportation. By Tuesday evening, nearly two feet of snow had been reported from Leo in some parts of western Nebraska.
Road conditions caused this semi to slide off the road near Brady, Nebraska.
(Nebraska State Police )


































Poor travel conditions were responsible for at least one accident, a semi truck that slid off the road near Brady.
In eastern Nebraska, some schools started two hours late Wednesday morning, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

South Dakota

Officials issued a snow alert for the city of Sioux Falls Tuesday night as Leo cranked up in the southeastern South Dakota city, which banned parking along some streets where plows needed room to work, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
Sioux Falls schools started late Wednesday morning, as did several other districts in the area, the Argus Leader also reported.

Leo's Snow Causes Problems in West

Two days after a motorist plunged off a winding road on a snowy Southern California mountain, authorities pulled him to safety early Wednesday, according to the AP. The 22-year-old man was found in his vehicle about 75 feet down, near Mount Baldy, the report added. The extent of his injuries weren't immediately known, but the San Bernardino Sun cited a report that said he suffered broken bones.
Heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada triggered an avalanche that shut down a highway just west of Lake Tahoe and caught two cars in its path. No one was injured. Officials warned of continuing avalanche danger at all elevations of the Sierra.
In northern Nevada, schools were canceled after more than a half-foot of snow fell near Reno.
Low-elevation snow dusted rural communities just north of Los Angeles while resort communities to the east in the San Bernardino Mountains were digging out from more heavy snow. Many schools in the inland region closed.
(MORE: Spring 2017 Temperature Outlook)
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a disaster declaration for Washington County due to snow accumulations. A vacant bar in Payette, Idaho, collapsed early Sunday under the weight of snow.
Parts of Arizona felt the effects of Winter Storm Leo, which dropped snow in many areas of northern and eastern parts of the state for days. Public schools in Flagstaff were closed Tuesday because of weather and road conditions, with authorities reporting roads and highways in the Flagstaff area still covered with snow and slick in spots.
Tuesday evening, a 36-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 180 was reopened north of Flagstaff after being closed for more than a day, the AP reported. The area received about three feet of snow from the winter storm.

Leo's Warm Side: Deadly California Flooding

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for 50 California counties that have been drenched by storms, including Winter Storm Leo, which have caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.
In this latest round of storms to pound the state, at least four people died, three were missing and others were rescued from raging floodwaters.
Anguished relatives gathered along a creek in Alameda County southeast of San Francisco as searchers looked for 18-year-old Jayda Jenkins, whose car plunged into the rushing waterway after a collision late Saturday. Three days later, her vehicle was recovered, but there was no sign of her inside, the AP reported. Officials said the seat belt had been unfastened and several windows were broken, which may be a sign Jenkins tried to escape.
Wednesday deputies said they found clothing that matched the description of what Jenkins was wearing at the time of the crash, NBC Bay Area reports.
"Because I'm her mother, I'm not losing hope. I'm praying that my child is coming home," Denielle Jenkins told the AP.
Two other people remained missing after being reported in waters off Pebble Beach on Saturday. The search along the Monterey Peninsula was suspended.
In Los Angeles, receding stormwater revealed a body in dense vegetation at a regional park in the Harbor City area. The cause of death was not known, but the Fire Department said the body may be that of a man reported missing Sunday night.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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