Wild weather brings snow to the south and Santa Ana winds to the west: NPR

A developing storm is expected to bring more wintry weather across the country, threatening normally warm parts of New Mexico, Texas and other southern areas with snow and freezing rain starting Wednesday.

Meanwhile, strong winds across the West Coast pose serious fire risks in Southern California, with some communities under a mandatory evacuation advisory.

Residents living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area could see 3 to 6 inches of snow by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. For this metro, which only received 1.5 inches of snow between 2023 and 2024, this is considered a major storm. Farther south, the NWS said, light snow, ice and sleet are possible, likely creating hazardous road conditions and impacting travel and schools.

All of this comes after a deadly winter storm brought snow and ice from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and frigid temperatures persisted in the South over the weekend. On Monday, at least four people died and dozens were injured as the storm swept through several states, including Kansas, Illinois, Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area, stranding cars and knocking out power. electricity.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate the state’s emergency response resources ahead of the storm.

“With subzero temperatures beginning to impact large parts of the state, Texas is increasing the State Operations Center’s readiness level to ensure resources are quickly deployed to communities,” Abbott said in a press release Tuesday.

He urged residents to “remain alert to weather conditions, regularly monitor road conditions before traveling, and heed the advice of national and local authorities.”

Dallas and Fort Worth have activated temporary winter shelters for homeless residents, city officials announced Tuesday.

The system forecast to hit Texas could bring several inches of snow to southeastern Oklahoma and west and central Arkansas Thursday through Friday, the NWS said. These forecasts are still early and the NWS warns that the extent of the storm and possible snowfall could still change.

Strong Santa Ana winds threaten Southern California

As the South braced for snow and cold, some Southern California residents fled their homes as the NWS said “life-threatening” Santa Ana winds battered the region and fueled wildfires. forest.

As of Tuesday afternoon, winds reached 20 to 50 mph, but hurricane-force gusts were expected later to reach 100 mph or more. Strong winds combined with low humidity and dry fuels (which California has in abundance after months of abnormally dry weather) contribute to dangerous conditions and increase the risk of wildfires.

Los Angeles authorities warned that residents living along the path of the Palisades fire should prepare to evacuate as the fire was moving quickly through the hills surrounding the area due to high winds. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for people living near Topanga Beach in Los Angeles County.