Wintry mix heads east; Tornado Confirmed in California: Weather Update

On December 15, 2024By Littum

A wall of wintry mix and rain pushed into parts of the East on Sunday as a strong Arctic high pressure system was forecast to help burn snow and ice across much of the Interior Northeast into Monday, forecasters warned.

AccuWeather Meteorologists said travel on some highways could be difficult Monday and that flight delays due to deicing operations were possible. A strong dome of high pressure sliding from the Great Lakes toward New England was to blame.

“Some record high barometric pressures may occur,” said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

High pressure is usually associated with relatively cool, dry and sunny conditions. However, the lingering effects of the high pressure area will conspire with an approaching storm from the Midwest, creating a “wedge” of cold air as moisture arrives from the Midwest storm, AccuWeather said in its forecast. The storm dumped nearly three feet of snow in areas near Buffalo, New York, last week.

Parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts could see a wintry mix late Sunday and Monday, AccuWeather said. The good news: The major eastern cities along Interstate 95 such as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC, were expected to receive the most rain.

The National Weather Service in California has confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in the small town of Scotts Valley, 30 miles south of San Jose, on Saturday. Damage included downed trees, downed power poles, trees stripped of branches, numerous overturned vehicles and damaged street signs, the weather service said. Its survey team estimated a maximum wind speed of 90 mph.

The weather service team estimated the tornado was about 30 yards wide and lasted for about a third of a mile. Scotts Valley police posted photos showing the damage, including overturned cars in parking lots.