Severe Weather Disrupts Holiday Plans: Storms and Fog Sweep Across the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and South

Oregon and Washington are likely to experience moderate to heavy downpours along with a few thunderstorms during the morning hours, leading to potential accumulations of up to 3 inches and possible flooding in rapid rainfall areas, according to a National Weather Service notification. Additionally, mountain snowfall, strong winds, and treacherous surf conditions were also predicted.

By around 8 a.m. PT Thursday, nearly 60,000 customers were affected by power outages in Washington and Oregon, according to the outage monitoring tool FindEnergy.com.

This marks the latest event in a series of storms produced by an atmospheric river currently affecting the West Coast. Meteorologists stated that the initial storm wave in the Northwest is likely to advance inland by Thursday afternoon, providing a brief respite before another wave of severe weather hits Thursday night in many of the same regions. This forthcoming weather system is expected to contribute an additional inch or two of rain by Friday morning.

High wind advisories were also issued Thursday for stretches of coastal Oregon, including areas near Bandon, Coos Bay, and Newport, as well as Seattle and several surrounding suburbs. 

Forecasters in Medford, Oregon mentioned in one such advisory that “destructive winds will topple trees and power lines” and urged residents in the region to stay indoors and prepare for widespread power losses and challenging travel conditions. The alert indicated that wind speeds could range from 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph, until 10 a.m. PT.

The National Weather Service in Seattle reported similar alerts overnight Wednesday into Thursday, highlighting that wind gusts in the vicinity could peak around 60 mph in coastal regions and reach up to 55 mph around the Puget Sound. Meteorologists in Portland observed a wind gust of 92 mph at Beacon Rock, Washington — approximately 35 miles east of Portland — early Thursday morning, as reported by the weather service.

The recent storms in the Pacific Northwest followed a series of hazardous weather events along the West Coast during this holiday week. Previously, a significant storm struck central California, resulting in the death of at least one individual at Sunset State Beach, who on Monday became trapped under debris believed to have been placed atop him due to a large wave, according to the Associated Press.

Footage shared by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office seemingly depicted a structure that collapsed and was swept away at sea.

Severe storms also targeted the South on Thursday, posing a potential threat to states like Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas with large hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued dense fog and flash flood alerts for various areas of the region, which will remain active into the late morning.

“Another series of thunderstorms is anticipated today, some of which may be severe,” the forecasters noted in a statement early Thursday. The weather service indicated that northern and central Texas would likely be affected, though the most intense storms are expected during the afternoon as the system moves into eastern Texas.

Thick fog had settled over sections of the Midwest on Thursday. In Kansas City, forecasters anticipated that fog and light showers would continue throughout the day, with regions of particularly poor visibility — under a quarter of a mile in certain areas — expected to persist across central and eastern Kansas as well as central Missouri during the morning. Predictions indicated the fog would clear somewhat, but only partially, by the afternoon.

Projections further north in Illinois were quite comparable. 

“Regions of thick fog will remain over portions of northern Illinois into this afternoon,” the National Weather Service in Chicago mentioned in a mid-morning bulletin on Thursday. “Anticipate low visibilities and delayed driving conditions out on the highways until the situation improves.”