Severe Storms Sweep Across the U.S., Bringing Heavy Snow, Hazardous Ice, and a Tornado to California

OMAHA, Neb.—A tornado struck near a shopping mall in central California, lifting vehicles, uprooting trees, and causing injuries that required several individuals to be hospitalized. In San Francisco, officials issued the city’s first-ever tornado warning.

Across the United States, adverse weather conditions persisted, featuring heavy snowfall in upstate New York, a significant ice storm affecting Midwest regions, and severe weather alerts around Lake Tahoe.

The ice storm that began Friday evening resulted in hazardous driving conditions throughout Iowa and eastern Nebraska into Saturday, leading to temporary shutdowns of Interstate 80 as numerous vehicles skidded off the highway. In upstate New York, Orchard Park reported over 33 inches of snow, a common recipient of lake-effect snowfall.

A tornado touched down on Saturday near a retail area in Scotts Valley, California, approximately 70 miles south of San Francisco, around 1:40 p.m. The National Weather Service reported that the tornado overturned cars and uprooted trees and utility poles, with several injuries prompting hospital visits.

In San Francisco, trees fell onto vehicles and streets and caused roof damage. However, the damage was attributed to straight-line winds reaching 80 mph, not a tornado, according to weather service meteorologist Dalton Behringer on Sunday.

Roger Gass, a meteorologist from the Monterey, California, weather service office, noted that San Francisco’s warning for a potential tornado marked a first for the city, as previous tornadoes lacked advance alerts—a notable instance occurring nearly 20 years ago.

“I would assume there wasn’t a significant radar indicator for a warning back in 2005,” noted Gass, who was not present during that event.

The rapidly moving storm led to advisories urging residents to find shelter, but many local homes lack basements.

More than a foot of snow accumulated at some ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, with Mammoth Mountain recording a wind gust of 112 mph (181 kph), as reported by the weather service’s Reno office. Forecasts predicted up to 3 feet of snow at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada.

Despite the heavy snowfall, the Tahoe Live music festival at Palisades Tahoe ski resort in California proceeded as scheduled. Lil Wayne and Diplo were slated to perform on Sunday, according to the festival’s website. An avalanche warning remained in effect until at least Monday morning in the area.

Interstate 80 faced closures over an 80-mile stretch from Applegate, California, to the Nevada border just west of Reno on Saturday. The California Highway Patrol reopened the route in the afternoon for passenger vehicles equipped with chains or four-wheel drive and snow tires.

The severe weather in the Midwest resulted in at least one fatal incident. The Washington County Sheriff’s office in Nebraska reported that a 57-year-old woman died after losing control of her pickup on Highway 30 near Arlington, colliding with an oncoming truck. The other driver sustained minor injuries.

As temperatures rose in the afternoon, allowing the ice to melt in many areas, businesses announced plans to open late on Saturday.

“Fortunately, warmer air is moving in, so it should be a temporary situation,” remarked Dave Cousins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Davenport office.

Tens of thousands of residents in western Washington experienced power outages on Saturday as the storm brought rain and strong winds, as reported by local news sources.

By Josh Funk