Winter clings on across the US by Steph Ball
A late winter storm pounded central and eastern parts of the US on Sunday and Monday, bringing everything from rain and sleet to snow, and even tornadoes.
The storm, originally a Pacific storm, moved into the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley during Sunday. Earlier on Sunday, parts of the Plains had been enjoying record early spring warmth with highs ranging from 24C (75F) in Colorado to around 27C (81F) in parts of Oklahoma. However, behind the storm, temperatures plunged dramatically to below freezing, with up to a foot of snow forecast. This further snow will only add to what for many has been one of the snowiest winters on record.
The sharp contrast in temperatures caused the storm front to intensify through the weekend. Across the southern section of the storm, the cold air mixed with warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and this spawned two tornadoes across Oklahoma. By Monday the storm front stretched from Texas in the south to the Great Lakes area in the North East.
This storm is just one of many which have buffeted central and eastern parts of the US during this winter. It has nudged further east today, Tuesday, and is still bringing a mix of rain, sleet, snow and thunderstorms. A tornado warning has been issued for Alabama, with a watch for parts of southern Mississippi and the western Florida Panhandle.
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