CHICAGO — Snow, ice and rain fell Saturday in the Midwest and eastern parts of the U.S., a prelude to the
Arctic temperatures due to arrive in the next few days.
The mix of precipitation affected a swath from the Oklahoma Panhandle — where several inches of snow were
in the forecast — to southern New England, where up to a quarter-inch of ice is possible in the eastern
Berkshires.
Freezing rain and ice factored into numerous accidents in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio and threatened
an outdoor hockey game in Toledo.
And parts of the southern U.S. saw heavy rain and thunderstorms, leading the National Weather Service to
issue tornado watches and warnings in Mississippi and Louisiana and a flash flood watch for portions of
Arkansas.
The weather service reported at least two confirmed tornadoes in Mississippi. Greg Flynn of Mississippi’s
Emergency Management Agency said four mobile homes were reported damaged in Jasper County, along with
sporadic reports of homes damaged in Lauderdale, Covington and Lowndes counties.
"Thankfully, in all of this, there are no injuries reported anywhere," Flynn said.
Meanwhile, blowing and drifting snow was a problem in the northeast Colorado plains, while a blizzard
warning was issued for northern North Dakota and Minnesota. Winds between 30 to 40 mph blew snow that
fell overnight in the Red River Valley, weather service meteorologist Tom Grafenauer said.
That area will be the first to feel the effects of a strong cold front, he said, with temperatures
reaching 20-below and wind chills approaching minus 50 by Sunday morning.
By Tuesday, parts of the Midwest will see below-zero temperatures, while lows will reach single-digits
along the East Coast. The chilly weather is even expected to move as far south as New Orleans.
Meteorologist Ryan Maue of the private Weather Bell Analytics has called it "old-timer’s type of
cold."
___
Online:
National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/index.shtml
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.