Wintry weather in the USA by Rob McElwee
Many states in the USA will be affected by a potent winter storm over the next few days. The low pressure system is currently pumping rain and snow into areas of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico – areas that are much in need of rain. The storm will track eastwards over the next few days bringing a mix of rain, snow and ice from Nebraska to the lower Great Lakes. The heaviest snow is expected from southern Minnesota to New England.
An earlier storm brought up to 23 cms (9 inches) of snow to parts of the Rockies on Wednesday, leading to World Cup officials cancelling training in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The National Weather Service is expecting more snow to fall from this new system, across Colorado over the weekend. Grateful ski-resort operators in snow-starved southwest Colorado were eagerly awaiting the wintry weather yesterday, which was expected to dump up to 150 cms (5 feet) in the high mountains.
Little snow has fallen across most of the state so far this season. Accumulations in the southwest quadrant ranged from 19% to 28% of the 30-year average, and the state-wide average was 37%.
One ski resort in Colorado, Purgatory Mountain outside Durango, hasn’t had enough snow to open yet this season, but the first snow flakes began yesterday and more is expected in the coming days.
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