It will be a chilly start to 2019 for many as one storm heads out to sea, leaving an icy trail behind it, and another just gets started.
New Year’s Day sees much of Arizona and New Mexico under winter weather advisories as a new storm system picks up strength in the Southwest.
Phoenix, Arizona, is under a freeze warning. Low temperatures are forecast to be in the 20s by Wednesday morning, according to CNN meteorologist Michael Guy.
Areas east of Tucson in southeast Arizona through New Mexico up into southern Colorado will see snow.
“Most areas will see accumulations of 2 to 6 inches, but areas in the higher elevations could see upwards of a foot of snow,” Guy said.
“As the storm progresses to the east through the end of the week, it will draw in Gulf moisture as it continues to develop in Texas. Storms will be possible, along with heavy rain and flooding to end the week in east Texas and Louisiana.”
Rockies storm
The storm system that rolled through the Rockies and upper Midwest and New England on Monday was heading out to sea January 1, with a chilly residue.
“Most areas from the Rockies through the Midwest will see clear and much colder temperatures for the start to 2019.
“Locations in the Plains will see temperatures 30 degrees colder than they were on New Year’s Eve with some high temperatures staying in the single digits,” Guy said.
A wet NYE in NYC
In contrast, mild but wet weather in New York City on New Year’s Eve saw revelers in Time’s Square donning ponchos to stay dry.
The forecast was wet enough for the New York Police Department to cancel what was set to be the first New Year’s Eve deployment of its new fleet of drones over Times Square.
Major metro areas of the east such as New York, Boston and Washington were having a soggy and potentially foggy start to their New Year.
“A push of warmer air will create some fog overnight and warm the day to temperatures 20 degrees above average for this time of year. It will also be windy into the afternoon with gusts as high as 45 mph,” Guy said.
Temperatures are expected to drop back to normal by Wednesday, according to Guy.
Foggy wreck in Texas
In Texas, dense fog may have played a role in a major wreck just after midnight on New Year’s Day, according to Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS).
Preliminary estimates suggested 20 vehicles may have been involved in the incident on Texas State Highway 130 near Austin.
More than 56 people required medical evaluation and nine were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, ATCEMS said.
Fog and smoke from fireworks celebrating the new year also were reducing visibility to near zero early Tuesday in Houston, CNN affiliate KTRK reported.
Light winds and cold, stable air allowed the fog and smoke to collect, KTRK said.