Updated Dec. 20, 2019 4:33 PM
During the final week of autumn, snow caused travel headaches and fatalities in the central and northeastern United States, and a swarm of tornadoes wreaked havoc in the South. Meanwhile, there was a dramatic difference in temperatures for two countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. Heres a look back at this week's biggest weather news.
The week got off to a terrifying start for people living in parts of the Deep South as they endured a devastating—and deadly—tornado outbreak on Monday.
At least 18 National Weather Service (NWS)-confirmed tornadoes left behind a trail of destruction that killed three people and injured about a dozen others, the Associated Press reported. A fourth person was killed on Tuesday following heavy overnight downpours that resulted in flooding in Greenup County, Kentucky, according to the AP.
This photo shows some damage by a tornado in Alexandria, La., Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, after storms went through the area. Strong storms moving across the Deep South killed at least one person Monday and left a trail of smashed buildings, splintered trees and downed power lines the week before Christmas. (AP Photo/Brad Kemp)
The twisters touched down across Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama amid violent conditions that triggered at least 33 tornado reports around midday Monday. The severe weather damaged homes, snapped trees and scattered debris that left roads impassable.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center logged over three dozen storm reports between eastern Texas and Georgia . One of the tornadoes was later determined to be a powerful EF3, packing winds between 140 and 160 mph.
This graphic shows confirmed tornado reports as of Dec. 17, 2019.
The NWS Storm Survey Team investigated its path between DeRidder and Alexandria, Louisiana, on Tuesday, and found that the 400-yards-wide tornado had traveled a distance of 62 miles, according to the NWS Lake Charles.
Blinding snow squall triggers 60-car pileup in Pennsylvania
Blinding snow squall triggers 60-car pileup in Pennsylvania
Imagine driving down a busy highway when suddenly, you can barely see the hood of your car, let alone other vehicles on the road in front of you. That was the scary reality for many drivers on Wednesday as snow squalls covered the northeastern U.S., dramatically reducing visibility.
On Interstate 80 in central Pennsylvania, the poor conditions led to a deadly 60-vehicle pileup that shut the highway down in both directions. Fox 26 reported that two men were killed in the midst of the wreckage: 53-year-old Edward Posavec of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, and 58-year-old Marek Szczepanczyk of Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Interstate 80 in central Pennsylvania was shut down after a chain-reaction crash involving more than 60 vehicles after an intense snow squall caused whiteout conditions. (Viktoria Hallikäär via Storyful)
The crashes happened around 1:30 p.m. EST in the westbound lanes, and around half of an hour later, officials had shut down 34 miles of highway between Lewisburg and Lock Haven. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) reported visibility at the time of the snow squall as at around 8-10 feet.
Thirty-seven people were taken to a Lewisburg hospital, while three others had to be transported to other facilities for treatment of more severe injuries. During the snow squalls, millions of people in the Northeast were alerted by their buzzing phones about the impending snow squall. The NWS sent out warnings to let people know about the hazardous conditions that can arise from the quick bursts of snow.
Sunday-to-Monday snowstorm wreaks havoc across central US
A deadly snowstorm in the central portion of the U.S. killed at least five people last weekend. The storms caused trouble on roadways in Nebraska; on Dec.15, three people died in a multiple-vehicle wreck near Greenwood, forcing a section of I-80 to shut down for almost five hours.
A deadly snowstorm in the central portion of the U.S. killed at least five people last weekend. The storms caused trouble on roadways in Nebraska; on Dec.15, three people died in a multiple-vehicle wreck near Greenwood, forcing a section of I-80 to shut down for almost five hours.
Another fatal crash happened about 25 miles south of Omaha near Sarpy County, when two others were killed. The snow triggered several other accidents across the region as it dumped over 4 inches of snow over Kansas City, Missouri.
Denver Broncos linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu (97) tackles Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Despite this, the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos went on as scheduled, although snow at Arrowhead Stadium covered the field and yard lines.
Over in the Eastern Hemisphere, there was a stark contrast in the weather this past week in Australia and China. Scorching temperatures soared to unbearable highs Down Under amid a record-shattering heat wave.
Meanwhile in northeast China, the mercury dropped well below freezing point as temperatures in Heilongjiang dipped to as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Want to see just how cold that is? Check out the locals tossing water in the air to test the temperature outside.
Back in Australia, Dec. 18 became the country’s hottest day on record as Wednesday’s average maximum temperature reached a brutal 107.4 F, breaking the old record of 105.6 F that was set just the day before.
The heat wave gripping Australia is expected to bring life-threatening conditions to millions of people from Adelaide and Melbourne to Canberra and Sydney, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Eric Leister. The intense heat also elevates the risk of new bushfires developing, while making ongoing firefighting efforts even more difficult.
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