According to today's Weather and Crop Bulletin report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), sprawling and complex storm systems delivered hazardous weather across a vast area of the country. In the West, cold, windy, unsettled weather included snow falling at unusually low elevations, with major accumulations occurring in Portland, OR, and other Pacific Coast State communities.
Heavy snow in California followed a month of relatively tranquil weather. Farther east, the combination of bitter cold, high winds, and heavy snow led to blizzard conditions across parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest.
For those regions, multi-day snow accumulations contributed to major travel disruptions and severe livestock stress, including areas where lambing and calving operations were underway. Meanwhile, locally heavy fell in the lower Midwest, especially on February 22, resulting in flash flooding and muddy conditions in fields and feedlots.