January 2017 North American ice storm

Last updated
January 2017 North American ice storm
North American ice storm 2017-01-15 (cropped).jpg
The storm system over the United States as viewed by GOES-16 on January 15, 2017
Type Extratropical cyclone
Winter storm
Ice storm
Tornado outbreak
FormedJanuary 10, 2017
DissipatedJanuary 17, 2017
Lowest pressure1006  mb (29.71  inHg)
Tornadoes
confirmed
11
Max. rating1 EF2 tornado
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion
Snow – 29.5 inches (75 cm) at Red Mountain Pass, Colorado [1]
Ice – 1.00 inch (2.5 cm) in Beaver, Oklahoma
Fatalities9 fatalities
Areas affected Pacific Northwest, Southwestern United States, Midwestern United States, Great Plains

1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The January 2017 North American ice storm was a major ice storm that impacted the Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, and American Midwest. During the storm, multiple U.S. states declared states of emergency, and icy road conditions caused traffic incidents and fatalities. It was Named Winter Storm Jupiter by the weather channel. [2] An outbreak of 11 tornadoes also struck Texas, injuring two. [3]

Contents

Meteorological history

In mid-January, an unusual surge of atmospheric moisture surged into northwestern Mexico associated with an upper-level low near California. [4] [5] This moisture began to move into the High Plains and Central United States by the jet stream ahead of the low late on January 13, and, with below-freezing temperatures at the surface in much of Oklahoma, northern Texas, and Kansas, freezing rain began to explode into existence. [6] [5] The frozen precipitation continued to blossom as the day progressed. [7] The low began to inject the aforementioned moisture into the state of Texas and Oklahoma as it slowly moved east-northeastwards across the Baja California peninsula and across the northern Gulf of California throughout the day on January 14. Meanwhile, icy conditions continued in much of the Central United States.

By late on January 14, a surface low developed east of the upper-low as it moved swiftly towards the United States–Mexico border. [8] [9] The surface low, while intensifying, as a result of interaction with the incoming moisture, developed a squall line of thunderstorms along its cold front, as it and the upper-low emerged into the Southwestern United States. [10] The entire storm system continued to push northeastwards through the state of Texas on January 15. In advance of the squall line that was moving rapidly to the east, scattered supercell thunderstorms popped up, and at one point during the nighttime hours, a tornado warning had to be issued for the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a rare occurrence.

Preparations and impact

West

Oregon

Snow covered car in Portland, Oregon 2143 NE Broadway - Irvington HD - Portland Oregon.jpg
Snow covered car in Portland, Oregon

The storm impacted Portland, Oregon on January 10, 2017. Blizzard conditions caused Interstate 84 to close between Troutdale, Oregon and Hood River, Oregon. [11] Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in Oregon, and the mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency for the city of Portland, Oregon on January 11. [12] Downtown Portland received 11 inches of snow in a 12-hour period, making it the largest snowstorm for the city in twenty years. [13] Crater Lake National Park temporarily closed due to the snow, as well as an avalanche caused by the storm. [14]

California

On January 13, 2017, the storm caused snowfall in the mountains near San Diego. [15]

Midwest

Missouri

On January 13, 2017, the storm covered Missouri with freezing rain, causing hazardous driving conditions and scattered power outages. Lambert Airport canceled most of its flights due to the ice. [16] Missouri Governor Eric Greitens declared a state of emergency and called up the Missouri National Guard. [17] The Missouri Department of Transportation reported that it responded to about 100 crashes on January 13, 2017. A woman from Crystal City, Missouri died while driving in on an ice-covered bridge. [18] The start time of a National Football League divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers in Kansas City, Missouri on January 15 was changed from 12:05 p.m. CST to 7:20 p.m. CST due to the weather forecast. [19]

On January 14, two more traffic fatalities were attributed to the effects of the storm. One man from Ravenwood, Missouri slid off the road while another man died in a pileup. [20]

Kansas

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for southern Kansas on January 11, 2017. [21] In Dodge City, where 1 inch (2.5 cm) of ice accumulated, so many downed trees blocked roads that school buses could not run on January 18. [22] [23] The Kansas National Guard helped stranded motorists and provided emergency transportation on January 13, 2017. On January 14, the storm caused a pileup of 20 vehicles, causing two injuries. [24] The Victory Electric Cooperative Association reported 5,800 power outages on January 15, of which 1,175 outages remained on January 18. [25]

Nebraska and Iowa

The National Weather Service issued ice storm warnings on January 14, 2017 for southeastern Nebraska and southern Iowa. Residents in these areas were urged stay indoors during the storm and to prepare by buying food, water, and fuel. [26]

Icy conditions contributed to a fiery crash between two semitrailer trucks on Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska on January 15, and no injuries were reported. [27] The University of Nebraska–Lincoln canceled classes on January 17 due to the road conditions. [28] Since 2016 was an abnormally dry year for Nebraska, some local farmers appreciated the moisture from the storm. [29]

On January 15, the storm left 13 inch (0.85 cm) of ice on some parts of Iowa, and hundreds of crews were sent to clear the roads. [30]

Great Plains

Oklahoma

On January 12, 2017, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency. The next day, some schools and government offices were closed for the storm. [18] Many Oklahoma residents responded to these warnings by buying groceries and generators. [16] An accident in Weatherford, Oklahoma on January 14 left at least one person dead. Road conditions stranded several vehicles in Oologah, Oklahoma, and Interstate 40 was closed due to multiple accidents. [20]

Texas

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On January 15–16, the ice storm impacted Texas, creating severe storms and tornadoes in South Clifton and in the counties Bosque and Hill. [1] In the end, 11 tornadoes were confirmed. [31] After a January 15 NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers at the AT&T Stadium, a tornado warning caused thousands to stay in the stadium until weather conditions improved. [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-December 2007 North American winter storms</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 2008 North American storm complex</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2014 North American winter storm</span> Winter storm in 2014

The March 2014 North American winter storm, also unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Titan, was an extremely powerful winter storm that affected much of the United States and portions of Canada. It was one of the most severe winter storms of the 2013–14 North American winter storm season, storm affecting most of the Western Seaboard, and various parts of the Eastern United States, bringing damaging winds, flash floods, and blizzard and icy conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013–14 North American winter</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011–12 North American winter</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010–11 North American winter</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 4–8, 2017, North American winter storm</span> North American winter storm

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 North American winter</span> North American winter of 2018–19

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 New Year's North American winter storm</span> Category 1 winter storm on New Years Eve and Day

The 2020–21 New Year's North American winter storm was a major storm system that brought a wide swath of snow and ice to parts of the High Plains and Central and Northeastern United States during the New Years holiday from December 30–January 2. The system began developing early on December 30, and began spreading wintry precipitation to parts of Texas, coalescing into a low pressure system that formed near the western Gulf of Mexico. The winter storm tracked north and brought heavy snow, ice and strong winds to much of the center of the Midwest and interior parts of the Northeast and New England, causing widespread impacts and travel issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 13–17, 2021, North American winter storm</span> Category 3 winter storm and ice storm in the United States

A major winter and ice storm had widespread impacts across the United States, Northern Mexico, and parts of Canada from February 13 to 17, 2021. The storm, unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Uri by the Weather Channel, started out in the Pacific Northwest and quickly moved into the Southern United States, before moving on to the Midwestern and Northeastern United States a couple of days later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 15–20, 2021, North American winter storm</span> Category 3 winter storm and ice storm in the United States

The February 15–20, 2021 North American winter storm, also unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Viola, was a significant and widespread snow and ice storm across much of the United States, Northern Mexico, and Southern Canada. The system started out as a winter storm on the West Coast of the United States on February 15, later moving southeast into the Southern Plains and Deep South from February 16–17. It then moved into the Appalachian Mountains and Northeastern United States, before finally moving out to sea on February 20. The storm subsequently became a powerful low pressure system over the North Atlantic, before eventually dissipating on February 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2021 North American blizzard</span> Winter storm and tornado outbreak in 2021

The March 2021 North American blizzard was a record-breaking blizzard in the Rocky Mountains and a significant snowstorm in the Upper Midwest that occurred in mid-March of 2021. It brought Cheyenne, Wyoming their largest two-day snowfall on record, and Denver, Colorado their second-largest March snowfall on record. The storm originated from an extratropical cyclone in the northern Pacific Ocean in early March, arriving on the west coast of the United States by March 10. The storm moved into the Rocky Mountains on Saturday, March 13, dumping up to 2–3 feet (24–36 in) of snow in some areas. It was unofficially given the name Winter Storm Xylia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 North American winter</span> Winter season in North America

The 2021–22 North American winter was not as significant and record-breaking as the previous winter season. Despite this, several notable and significant events still occurred, including two separate record-breaking tornado outbreaks in mid-December, a significant winter storm in the South in mid-January, a powerful blizzard that impacted the Northeast coast at the end of January and a wide-ranging, significant winter storm that affected most of the eastern half of the country in early February. Additional significant events included a late-season winter storm in March that affected the Appalachian Mountains, and a major blizzard that affected North and South Dakota in mid-April. Addiitonally, a very late out-of-season snowstorm struck the Rocky Mountains in late May. During the season, four storms have been ranked on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI), although none attained the “Major” category. Similar to the previous winter, a developing La Niña was expected to influence weather patterns across the continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 14–17, 2022, North American winter storm</span> Category 2 snow and ice storm in North America

The January 14–17, 2022, North American winter storm brought widespread impacts and wintry precipitation across large sections of eastern North America and parts of Canada. Forming out of a shortwave trough on January 13, it first produced a swath of snowfall extending from the High Plains to the Midwestern United States. The storm eventually pivoted east and impacted much of the Southern United States from January 15–16 before shifting north into Central Canada, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Northeastern United States. The system, named Winter Storm Izzy by The Weather Channel, was described as a "Saskatchewan Screamer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early February 2022 North American winter storm</span> North American winter storm in 2022

The February 2022 North American winter storm was a widespread, damaging, and severe winter storm which affected a wide swath of much of the United States with widespread wintry precipitation; it spread from Texas northeast to Maine. Nineteen states in the U.S. were impacted by the system; more than 90 million people were in the storm's path. The winter storm was named Winter Storm Landon by The Weather Channel and was also referred to by other media outlets as the Groundhog Snowstorm, primarily due to the storm impacting on Groundhog Day.

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