The Midwest was battered by hurricane-force winds, dust storms, derechos, power outages, snow squalls, tornados, snownados and wild fires as a powerful storm battered Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan.
"A powerful storm system swept through the central United States on Wednesday with high winds that kicked up dust storms, fueled wildfires and knocked down power lines, leaving more than 450,000 customers without power," The Washington Post reported. "More than 36 million people from New Mexico to Michigan were under high-wind warnings, as gusts of up to 100 mph sent roofs flying and toppled tractor-trailers on highways from Colorado to Iowa."
The storms came hours after President Joe Biden toured tornado damage in Kentucky after Friday evening's deadly storms in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee.
"High winds in Kansas kicked up dust storms that caused low visibility, prompting the Kansas Department of Transportation to temporarily shut down major highways in the western part of the state," the newspaper reported. "Dry, windy conditions also fueled wildfires in Kansas, forcing evacuations. The Weather Service said late Wednesday that a wildfire in Russell County, Kansas, was still burning. Parts of Kansas, Missouri and Colorado had the worst air quality in the country Wednesday evening, with Brownell, Kansas, recording a 'very unhealthy' air quality index of 237, far higher than levels earlier in the week."
The unprecedented damage was the result of a powerful winter storm colliding with a heat wave. CBS News meteorologist Jeff Beradelli explained how climate change is at least partially responsible.
"When temperatures are 40 degrees above normal, and near 70 as far north as the border of MN in December," Beradelli said, "and with a coincident storm… well, [you're] bound to get unprecedented extreme weather. It’s hard to justify these extremes w/o a changed climate."
When temperatures are 40 degrees above normal, and near 70 as far north as the border of MN in December\u2026 and with a coincident storm\u2026 well, your bound to get unprecedented extreme weather. It\u2019s hard to justify these extremes w/o a changed climate.pic.twitter.com/xPoY8L3vpM— Jeff Berardelli (@Jeff Berardelli) 1639610965
Here are some of the images of the storm:
Today (12/15) has set the record for the most number of hurricane force (75+ mph) thunderstorm wind gusts in a day (55, and counting) since 2004. The previous record was from August 10, 2020 with 53.pic.twitter.com/bqULyJJEw5— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWS Storm Prediction Center) 1639628152
This is hard to believe & make sense of: \n\nLast night one of the worst wind storms ever recorded that impacted six states over 500 miles: \n\n20 tornado reports and ~400 high wind reports\n\nBUT thankfully only 1/2 million without power, and no reported fatalities or injuries!!!pic.twitter.com/AYpbdZdEXm— Bill Karins (@Bill Karins) 1639657484
I have never seen a level 4 risk for severe thunderstorms/tornadoes in areas that have 6 inches of snow on the ground.pic.twitter.com/btXFfQnVxk— Mark Baden (@Mark Baden) 1639584415
Surreal.https://twitter.com/brianemfinger/status/1471269244994265089\u00a0\u2026— Jeff Berardelli (@Jeff Berardelli) 1639628668
A tornado warning this far north on December 15th. Wild.pic.twitter.com/6PmXmkdDJ4— Eric Fisher (@Eric Fisher) 1639625097
Looks like at least 1 record high set in 18 different states todayhttps://twitter.com/nwswpc/status/1471307948945285123\u00a0\u2026— Bill Karins (@Bill Karins) 1639624982
Tornado tonight in Iowa.https://twitter.com/bryonhoulgrave/status/1471258306903687169\u00a0\u2026— Noah Bergren (@Noah Bergren) 1639616766
"There's no one alive in the central U.S. that's ever seen a storm like this in December in the Central Plains. April? Sure. Middle of December? No way," says @BillKarins, as tornado watches and warnings are issued in the Midwest tonight.pic.twitter.com/QtOsapAqbH— The News with Shepard Smith (@The News with Shepard Smith) 1639613521
