Heavy snow slams Colorado as severe thunderstorms unleash torrential rain across Midwest
A powerful winter storm walloped Colorado on Thursday with heavy snowfall, closing schools, knocking out power and canceling hundreds of flights as thunderstorms threatened the Midwest and Mississippi Valley with potentially damaging hail and tornadoes.
In what experts say could be the worst winter storm the state has seen in years, officials have warned of whiteout conditions on Colorado's mountain roads and across a large portion of the Denver and Boulder metro areas. Sections of major highways, including I-70, have been shut down and authorities have asked people to stay indoors.
Throughout the day and into Friday, up to 3 feet of snow is expected across the Front Range, Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges, according to the National Weather Service. Snow will also pile up locally, including in downtown Denver, where officials have opened multiple shelters and warming centers.
"Our city hasn't seen a storm like this in a few years," wrote Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in a post on X Wednesday, shortly before announcing the closure of county and city government offices through Friday, when the storm will begin to taper off.
More than 79,000 utility customers were out of power, Thursday morning according to a database maintained by USA TODAY. And over 800 flights at Denver International Airport have been canceled, according to FlightAware.
Storms threaten tornadoes and large hail across the Midwest
Meteorologists say potential tornadoes and large hail threaten parts of north-central Texas into the Midwest as storms move east over the area Thursday. The greatest overall threat is across eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri, according to the weather service.
The weather service also issued severe weather warnings across central Illinois as storms with winds of over 50 mph were recorded in the region. Flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport were temporarily grounded because of heavy rain and winds.
These storms dropped hail ranging in size from golf balls to baseballs as they moved east across parts of Missouri and Kansas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They grew to encompass states from northeastern Texas to central Illinois and western Ohio, according to Accuweather, which said major metro areas at risk for severe weather and possible tornadoes Thursday include St. Louis, Dallas, Memphis, Indianapolis, Dayton in Ohio, and Peoria, Illinois.
The threat of severe thunderstorms will decrease by Friday before heading into the Northeast, according to the weather service. By then northern New England and New York State will face rain, while the higher elevations could see snow.
Baseball-size hail slammed Kansas and Missouri
Hail the size of baseballs fell on parts of Kansas and Missouri on Wednesday, including some major metro areas such as Kansas City, stalling traffic as several powerful storms kicked up possible tornadoes.
Across multiple counties there were at least three unconfirmed reports of tornadoes across both states as well as reports of structure damage. The National Weather Service said survey teams would confirm reports on Thursday. One video circulating online appeared to show a massive tornado moving across Kansas overnight.
While the hail threat lessens Thursday, meteorologists said heavy rain and high winds were still possible from northeastern Texas through central Missouri.
LA landslide destroys 1 home, threatens others
A landslide in an expensive Los Angeles neighborhood destroyed one home that was under construction and threatened the structural integrity of several others, authorities said.
Just before 3 a.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles firefighters responded to a call about a large tree and several wires down in the backyard of a house in Sherman Oaks, less than 15 miles from downtown LA, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Upon arrival, they found a hillside had slid toward three homes, damaging several and completely flattening one that was being renovated.
No one was hurt in the incident, but several people evacuated from one house. Two residences have been red tagged, meaning the structures are unsafe to enter, and another has been yellow tagged, according to the Department of Building and Safety. Firefighters used pumps to remove water from a swimming pool in the area to take some additional weight and stress off the hillside.
Pictures of the damage show one house completely flattened, another with its pool and deck pulled away, and a third with a pool hanging over the edge of the hillside.
Officials have not identified the cause of the landslide. This year, Los Angeles has had more than twice the amount of rain than normal, and over 600 mudslides have been reported in the city as of early February.
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Contributing: Associated Press; Doyle Rice
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storms stretch from the Rockies to the Midwest, disrupting travel
