Severe weather sweeping parts of the US continues to bring record-breaking cold temperatures to the Pacific north-west and heavy snow to mountains in northern California and Nevada.
Emergency warming shelters were opened throughout Oregon and western Washington as temperatures plunged into the teens (below zero in centigrade) and forecasters said an Arctic blast would last for several days.
Sunday’s snow showers blew into the Pacific north-west from the Gulf of Alaska, dumping up to six in (15 cm) across the Seattle area.
The National Weather Service said Seattle’s low on Sunday was -6.7C (20F), breaking a mark set in 1948. Bellingham was -12.8C, which was three degrees colder than the previous record set in 1971.
State officials in Oregon have declared an emergency. In Multnomah County – home to Portland – about a half dozen weather shelters were open. Seattle city leaders also opened at least six severe weather shelters starting Saturday through to at least Wednesday.
In west Seattle, Keith Hughes of the American Legion Hall Post 160, said his warming centre could welcome about a dozen people – its capacity limited by lack of volunteer staff.
“Volunteers, this is a problem for myself as well as everyone else in town, it’s really hard to get with Covid going on,” he said.
Winter weather led to canceled flights in Seattle, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, blowing snow in mountains of northern California and Nevada closed key highways, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days.
At Donner Pass in the Sierra, officials at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory on Monday said recent snowfall had smashed the snowiest December record of 179 in, set in 1970. The record is 193.7 in but more snow is expected.
The Northstar California Resort in Truckee closed its mountain operations on Monday because of blizzard conditions. More than 6ft (1.8 metres) of snow has fallen on the ski resort over the past 48 hours, according to the resort’s Facebook post.
Search and rescue crews were looking for a missing skier who was last seen on Saturday morning on a lift at the resort, KCRA reported.
In Nevada, freezing air and blinding snow blasted across the northern part of the state on Monday, affecting travel and business, closing Sierra Nevada highway passes, delaying airport flights and shutting state offices.
Interstate 80 remained closed because of poor visibility and heavy snow from the Nevada state line to Placer County, California. An avalanche blocked a state route that connects Tahoe City to some ski resorts in Olympic Valley and authorities told motorists to avoid nonessential travel.
The Nevada governor, Steve Sisolak, ordered nonessential state workers, other than public safety and corrections personnel, to remain at home because of the storm.
Weather and travel advisories stretched to north-east Nevada and Elko because of the possibility of blowing and drifting snow.
Temperatures in western Washington and Oregon were not forecast to rise above freezing until at least Thursday, and possibly not until the weekend, forecasters said.
