Winter-like weather smacks South, fierce winds hit NYC marathon

(CNN) -- Travelers along I-20 in South Carolina looked up in disbelief and amazement Saturday as white flakes fell from the sky.

And when they looked ahead they saw red -- red taillights.

The earliest-ever snow in Columbia and that area of the Palmetto State had traffic backed up for hours in several spots.

"(I) was just sitting and waiting, and not knowing (how much snow would fall) was the worst," Steven Crouch told CNN affiliate WIS.

The station reported that it usually doesn't freeze in Columbia until November 10. Hundreds of customers were without power, WIS said.

On Saturday, it only snowed a trace, according to the National Weather Service, but the slick conditions hampered travel.

In other parts of the South, there was a lot more precipitation. Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, there was 22 inches of snow, while areas around Asheville, North Carolina, received 5 inches.

And man, was it cold -- at least for this time of year. It was a record low 41 in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sunday. There was a hard freeze warning from Louisiana to North Carolina, and north to Ohio and Pennsylvania. Some parts of Florida were under frost advisories or freeze watches.

The good news is, the cold spell should be short, CNN meteorologist Todd Borek said. Temperatures should moderate toward season averages beginning Monday, he said.

Runners at the New York City Marathon are used to chilly temps, but the wind was terrible Sunday, with many gusts of more than 40 mph.

One gust in Westchester County was recorded at 55 mph, theNational Weather Service in New York said on Twitter.

The culprit was a high-pressure system that was dragging air from Canada over the eastern half of the United States, Borek said.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/02/us/weather/

Super Typhoon Nuri Becomes One of 2014's Most Powerful in Western Pacific

Super Typhoon Nuri has become one of the most powerful tropical cyclones of 2014 as it churns over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Japan.

Nuri began as a tropical depression on Oct. 31 and quickly became a tropical storm. It reached typhoon status the following day and then underwent a period of very rapid intensification.

ccording to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Nuri's maximum 1-minute sustained winds reached 180 mph Sunday afternoon and remained there as of 1 a.m. EST Monday (3 p.m. Japanese time Monday). This ties last month's Super Typhoon Vongfong for the strongest tropical cyclone of 2014, according to JTWC estimates.

The Japan Meteorological Agency, which is the agency officially recognized by the World Meteorological Organization for tropical cyclone forecasting in the western Pacific, pegged Nuri's 10-minute average winds at 105 knots (120 mph) Sunday and estimated its minimum central pressure at 910 millibars (26.87 inches of mercury). Both figures were a bit short of Vongfong's 115-knot winds and 900-mb minimum pressure in early October.

Nuri is the sixth super typhoon of 2014. JTWC uses the "super typhoon" designation for tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific Ocean whose maximum sustained winds reach at least 150 mph. JMA does not use the term, but instead has a "violent" class for typhoons with winds of 105 knots or greater. Nuri is the fourth violent typhoon of 2014 on the JMA scale.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/super-typhoon-nuri-pacific-japan-philippines-20141102

Record Early Double-Digit Snow in Maine After Record Early Snow Hits South Carolina

A record-early double-digit snowfall blanketed parts of Maine from a storm system that earlier brought an unprecedented early-season snow to parts of South Carolina on the first day of November.

The Aroostook County village of Cary, Maine, near the Canadian border, reported 21 inches of snow just before 7 p.m. EST Sunday. Farther south in the state while Hampden reported 15.5 inches of snow. Including these reports, at least 18 different locations in Maine have recorded 12 or more inches of snow.

Bangor (12 inches) and Caribou (10.1 inches), Maine both set their record earliest double-digit snowfall days, besting records from Nov. 15, 1962 and Nov. 20, 1945, respectively, according to the National Weather Service office in Caribou.

Snow and wind had knocked out power to some 130,000 customers in Maine alone as of Sunday evening as the heavy wet snow and 40-mph gusts brought down tree limbs and power lines. The counties of Penobscot, Hancock, Knox and Lincoln have been hardest hit thus far. The state governor declared a state of emergency and one power utility declared a "system emergency" due to the damage.

Officially, only 0.4 inches of snow was measured in Portland, Maine, and a trace was tallied at both Boston's Logan Airport and Providence, Rhode Island.

Parts of eastern Massachusetts picked up over an inch of snow, including Kingston (1.6 inches) and Assonet (1.5 inches). A light blanket of snow covered the field at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts hours before a big National Football League game between the host New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. The field was cleared of snow prior to kickoff.

http://www.weather.com/sports-rec/below-zero/record-early-snow-south-carolina-first-flakes-appalachians-new-england-great-lakes-20141101

Snow Falls on the South: Thousands Without Power in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia

An early season snow is combining with gusty winds to cause power outages, road closures and other adverse impacts across the South.

At the peak of the snow, tens of thousands of people were without power in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia  According toweather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman, the unique combination of snow, wind and the time of year is contributing to these power outages. 

"The end of October/start of November is typically near the peak time of year for fall foliage in the southern Appalachians and adjacent piedmont," said Erdman.

"Trees with leaves have an increased surface area with which to catch accumulating snow, compared to those whose leaves have already fallen. Throw strong winds into the equation, and you have a recipe for downed limbs and trees that can fall onto power lines and cause power outages. The force of wind plus wet snow can also down power lines, leading to additional  outages."

South Carolina

The state's two utility companies were reporting that more than 26,000 people were without power across the state just before 10 a.m. local time, during the peak impacts from the storm. By late afternoon, those outages still applied to more than 6,200 customers across the state.

Virginia

The state's utility providers report that around 5,240 people remain without power. There were more than 7,000 people without power during the peak of power outages.

Tennessee/North Carolina

All of the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, were closed Saturday due to treacherous slick conditions. WBIR reports that park rangers also evacuated campers over fears that trees could come crashing down on campsites.

North Carolina utility providers are also reporting more than 8,500 customers are without power across the state as of 4 p.m. local time.

Georgia

Georgia Power reported that more than 10,000 customers were without power across the state during the peak impacts of the storm. As of late afternoon, power outages across the state had dropped to a little more than 6,600 customers. A large portion of those outages were located in the Atlanta metro area, where gusts exceeding 40 mph were reported, downing limbs and trees onto power lines.

Link: http://www.wunderground.com/news/snow-impacts-south-carolina-georgia-virginia-maine-20141102

Arctic Blast Brings First Freeze, Record Cold to Parts of the East

An arctic blast arrived during the weekend with the first freeze of the season for many, and record low temperatures felt by many as well.

High temperatures early last week were above average from the Northeast to the South. Savannah, Georgia, set a record high of 90 degrees on Monday, which was the latest 90 degree temperature recorded there (the previous record was October 21). Record high temperatures were also tied last Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, (84), Tuscaloosa, Alabama, (85) and Alma, Georgia (89).

Last Tuesday, record high temperatures were set once again, including Rochester, New York, (80),Morgantown, West Virginia, (79), New Bern, North Carolina, (86) and Youngstown, Ohio (77).

That warmth quickly came to an end, and the areas that saw record highs on Monday and Tuesday saw temperatures nosedive.  In Columbia, SC, after making it to 87 last Tuesday, they were greeted by their earliest measurable snowfall on record Saturday morning.  

(MORE: Expert Analysis | Winter Storm Central)

It felt chilly and raw from the Midwest into the Southeast and it was very windy behind the cold front, too. Wind gusts of 40-60 mph were strong enough to cause some power outages and tree damage along the east coast.

Record lows were set Saturday morning in Springfield, Missouri (22) and tied in St. Joseph, Missouri (20). Twenties were felt as far south as northeast Oklahoma and northern Arkansas, while lows in the 30s were seen as far south as Mobile, Alabama, Slidell, Louisiana, and parts of the western Florida Panhandle.

Afternoon temperatures Saturday plunged or held in the 40s in much of the Tennessee Valley, and as far south as the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The strong north to northwest winds made it feel even colder.

It was even colder Sunday morning in the Southeast.

Record low temperatures were set in Florida on Sunday, including Daytona Beach (41), Melbourne (44), and Vero Beach (41) to name a few.  Toledo, OH tied their record low Sunday morning, making it to 22.

http://www.weather.com/sports-rec/below-zero/first-freeze-record-cold-20141029

Wintry Conditions in Chicago: Lake Michigan Overflows onto Lake Shore Drive; Over 300 Cancelations at O'Hare

Not only is Chicago experiencing its first snowfall of the season, gusty winds are also producing troubling conditions for both commuters and travelers.

Current Winds

Wind gusts as high as 53 mph were recorded at the Chicago Midway International Airport. Wind gusts reached 49 mph at the Chicago Executive Airport. Nearby in Gary, Indiana, winds gusted as high as 69 mph at the Gary/Chicago International Airport.

ABC-7 reports that high winds whipped up tall waves on Lake Michigan and led to closures on Lake Shore Drive’s northbound lanes. The windy conditions were created by a rapid change of air pressure.

(FORECAST: Arctic Blast Will Bring First Freeze, Record Cold to Parts of the East) 

"When an area of low pressure sets up near an area of high pressure, air flows quickly from high to low in the form of wind. The greater the pressure differences, the faster the wind speeds that can develop,” weather.com meteorologist Chrissy Warrilow said.

O’Hare International Airport canceled over 300 flights because of the weather, while Midway International Airport continued normal operations, NBC Chicago reports.

According to the National Weather Service, a tenth of an inch of snow was recorded at both the Chicago O’Hare Airport and the Rockford Airport. This is the first measurable snowfall recorded in Chicago on Halloween. 

http://www.weather.com/news/commuter-conditions/chicago-snow-winds-impacts-20141031

Arctic Blast Will Bring First Freeze, Record Cold to Parts of the East

An arctic blast has arrived this weekend with the first freeze of the season for many, and record low temperatures are possible as well.

High temperatures early this week were above average from the Northeast to the South. Savannah, Georgia, set a record high of 90 degrees on Monday, which was the latest 90 degree temperature recorded there (the previous record was October 21). Record high temperatures were also tied on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, (84), Tuscaloosa, Alabama, (85) and Alma, Georgia (89).
On Tuesday, record high temperatures were set once again, including Rochester, New York, (80), Morgantown, West Virginia, (79), New Bern, North Carolina, (86) and Youngstown, Ohio (77).
The warmth of earlier this week is coming to an end, and the areas that saw record highs on Monday and Tuesday have seen temperatures nosedive.

It will feel chilly and raw from the Midwest into the Southeast and it will be windy behind the cold front, too. Wind gusts could be strong enough to cause some power outages and tree damage.

Record lows were set Saturday morning in Springfield, Missouri (22) and tied in St. Joseph, Missouri (20). Twenties were felt as far south as northeast Oklahoma and northern Arkansas, while lows in the 30s were seen as far south as Mobile, Alabama, Slidell, Louisiana, and parts of the western Florida Panhandle.
Afternoon temperatures Saturday plunged or held in the 40s in much of the Tennessee Valley, and as far south as the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The strong north to northwest winds made it feel even colder.

It will be even colder Sunday morning in the Southeast. Another widespread freeze is likely, as diminishing winds and clear skies settle in behind the cold front, from central Mississippi, Alabama to the piedmont of the Carolinas.
Record low temperatures are in jeopardy in Florida on Sunday, including Miami (54), Orlando (46), West Palm Beach (51) and Fort Myers (49). Other records will be approached in parts of the Buckeye State, including Cincinnati (23) and Toledo, Ohio (22).

Temperatures will begin to moderate on Monday, but the day will start off chilly from the Northeast to the Southeast where lows will generally be in the 30s. This quick shot of winter will just be a memory for most of the East by Tuesday.