Heavy Snowfall Isn't Over Yet

Storm system causes at least five deaths in Kentucky alone
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 4, 2023 2:15 PM CST
Heavy Snow Hits Wide Region
A car parked along Lynda Circle in Red Bank, Tenn., rests under a tree that fell during storms Friday.   (Olivia Ross/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)

The winter-weary Northeast and upper Midwest were digging out Saturday from heavy snowfall while cleanup began in parts of the South and Midwest after a sprawling storm system produced ferocious winds that caused widespread damage and multiple deaths. Snow fell across a large swath of the Northeast, from western New York to New England, with some areas expecting more than a foot of snow on Saturday. The mix of snow, sleet, and rain prompted the National Weather Service to warn of possible coastal flooding in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the AP reports. The storm could bring as much as 18 inches of snow to parts of New Hampshire and Maine. It also could deliver strong winds that threaten power outages.

Hundreds of businesses were closed, many flights were canceled, and some bus service was suspended. The heavy, wet snow was accompanied by winds gusting up to 50mph, raising concerns about toppled trees and power outages in Maine. In the upper Midwest, residents dug out Saturday from heavy snowfall that caused power outages and the Detroit airport to briefly close late Friday. An 80-year-old man was struck and killed Friday evening by a snowplow that was backing up while clearing snow from a driveway in Ann Arbor.

The sprawling system spawned straight-line winds, possible tornadoes, and powerful thunderstorms in the South on Friday. At least five deaths were reported in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday. The storm, with wind gusts surpassing 70mph, downed trees and power lines, and damaged buildings. "This is very significant, widespread damage throughout Kentucky," Beshear said. In central Tennessee, at least two deaths were blamed on the storm. In both cases, the victims were struck by falling trees, authorities said. In Alabama, a 70-year-old man sitting in his truck in Talledega County was killed when a tree fell onto his vehicle. A 43-year-old man in Lauderdale County and a man in Huntsville also were killed by falling trees, authorities said. Heavy rain caused flooding in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.

(More snowfall stories.)

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