A rare tornado touched down in Santa Cruz County’s Scotts Valley, Northern California on Saturday, December 14, 2024, causing 5 injuries and significant damage, including flipped cars, downed power lines, and uprooted trees. This event was part of a larger weather system that also led to San Francisco’s first-ever Tornado Warning.
A severe ice storm caused dangerous travel conditions across central and eastern Iowa on December 13 and 14, 2024, leading to dozens of crashes and power outages.
San Francisco experienced its first-ever Tornado Warning on Saturday morning, December 14, 2024, issued as a powerful storm system swept through the region with heavy rain and strong winds.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency for parts of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Central New York, and the North Country regions, as heavy lake-effect snow is expected to bring up to 90 cm (3 feet) of accumulation in the third lake-effect snowstorm of the season.
The Franklin Fire has rapidly engulfed 1 233 ha (3 049 acres) in Malibu, California since its start late Monday night, December 9, 2024, prompting mandatory evacuations for thousands and leaving firefighters battling zero containment as of Tuesday morning, December 10, 2024. The blaze is currently threatening around 18 000 citizens along with over 8 000 structures. Authorities are urging the public to stay away from the Malibu area at all costs.
A strong atmospheric river (AR) is set to impact the Southeastern and Northeastern U.S. this week, bringing anomalously high moisture levels and the potential for heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt. Forecasts indicate the system will strengthen between December 10 and 11, driven by a plume of tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and a cold front.
A very bright fireball was observed over central Indiana at around 09:05 UTC (04:05 local time) on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. The event lasted about 3 – 5 seconds and was accompanied by a sonic boom.
A series of atmospheric rivers (ARs) and mid-level shortwave troughs are forecast to deliver significant precipitation to the United States West Coast starting mid-week, potentially extending into next week. Forecasts indicate that California, Oregon, and Washington will experience varying levels of rainfall intensity, with Northern California likely at the epicenter of the heaviest activity. The first AR in the series is expected to reach California on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
A rapidly spreading Franklin Fire broke out on Monday night (LT), December 9, 2024, near Malibu Canyon Road, California amid a Red Flag Warning and severe Santa Ana winds, placing nearby residents on urgent mandatory evacuation.
Temperatures across the Northeast are expected to reach 4 – 10 °C (40 – 50 °F), melting significant snow accumulations from last week’s lake-effect snowstorm. Rainfall totals are forecasted to reach 76 – 127 mm (3 – 5 inches) in some areas, including the I-95 corridor.
