All across the United States there has been extremely cold weather for the last few weeks. Most places have seen on and off rain and/or snowstorms, even in places that do not typically experience that kind of weather. One place that is very used to the weather but is still experiencing it to an extreme level is the Pacific Northwest.
There the residents have been dealing with rain, snow, freezing rain, and just about any and everything else in between. Many parts of the region have been dealing with on and off ice storm warnings, with some parts under one currently through to tomorrow. Some parts of Washington and Oregon are expected to see anywhere from a quarter of an inch to a full inch of ice, while dealing with freezing rain as well.
In most areas, schools have been closed but officials do not even know how to continue proceeding with this weather.
The worst part of the storm is that many areas of the Pacific Northwest have been without power for days. The weather has caused extreme issues for electricity because the states’ power grids were simply not built to withstand the power demand. Thousands of residents have been blacked out for several days, leading to growing concerns for people’s safety.
Other parts of the country have been in similar positions, from the Rocky Mountain region of Tennessee to the Midwest, and even as far east and north as New York. Cities like New York City and Philadelphia were dealing with a minor drought which is now completely gone thanks to the heavy storms they have been experiencing.
Requests from electric companies have been sent out across the nation asking people to voluntarily pull back their electricity use.
The Pacific Northwest’s storms have especially led to concerns for many residents and officials due to their lack of preparedness for this extreme freeze. The environment there is used to heavy and frequent rainfall, and as such the infrastructure is designed for that in mind as well. However, they are not used to anything like the snow and ice levels they have been seeing. The region is made up of a majority of thick forests with heavy tree cover. With the storms they have been dealing with, they run the risk of trees falling down, bringing down power lines and other things with them.
