AccuWeather expert meteorologists say families and businesses across more than 20 states will face relentless rounds of winter storms and hazardous travel conditions that will linger into late February.
That’s what AccuWeather stated in a media advisory, which was sent to Rigzone by the AccuWeather team on Friday.
“This is the stormiest stretch of the winter with a February frenzy of storms every few days in many places,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in the advisory.
“This is a very active coast to coast storm track with impacts from the West Coast through the Central Plains into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast,” he added.
“It’s been a disruptive start to February, and this onslaught of winter storms is expected to stick around for most of the month,” Porter continued.
“Millions of people are dealing with daily disruptions to life, including slippery and dangerous commutes to work, school delays and cancellations, business and supply chain disruptions, and travel delays at major airports from the Midwest to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” the AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist went on to state.
In the advisory, AccuWeather said its team of long-range experts accurately predicted in September that February would be an exceptionally active month for winter weather impacts across the country.
When Rigzone asked the AccuWeather team if winter storms this week will impact oil and gas activities, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said, “we do not anticipate weather-related impacts at refineries at this time”.
“The back to back winter storms could affect home heating oil deliveries in the Northeast. Rounds of snow and ice will likely disrupt delivery schedules,” he added.
“Oil and heating demand will likely increase in the Northeast after February 17 due to colder temperatures. Impacts are not anticipated in the Midwest, where natural gas is king,” Kines went on to say.
Beneficial Effects
In the advisory, AccuWeather highlighted that “the relentless rounds of winter storms are creating dangerous and disruptive impacts” but added that Porter said the snow and rain have beneficial effects.
“Two places seeing some benefits from these winter storms are the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Frequent rounds of rain will help the short-term drought situation,” Porter said in the advisory.
Abnormally dry or drought conditions have been reported across 69 percent of the contiguous U.S. this week, compared to roughly 64 percent last week, AccuWeather noted in the advisory.
“Much-needed rainfall has greatly reduced the risk of wildfires across Southern California and much of the state,” Porter added.
“Most reservoirs across California are filled to levels well above historical average. The mountain snowpack is above the historical average in the Northern Sierra. That’s good news for California’s water supply this summer,” he continued.
AccuWeather stated in the advisory that its expert meteorologists “caution that heavy rainfall can trigger dangerous mudslides and destructive debris flows in recent burn scars across Southern California following catastrophic wildfires last month”.
The company noted in its advisory that its preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from the January wildfires in Southern California is between $250 billion and $275 billion.
In a statement posted on its website on January 18, Chevron Corporation announced a total contribution of $1 million to the California Fire Foundation, American National Red Cross, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Small Business Disaster Recovery Fund to support relief efforts for wildfires in California.
Chevron also noted in the statement that it will match qualifying donations employees and retirees make to wildfire relief efforts and said it will provide financial contributions to organizations where its employees volunteer.
“Chevron’s legacy in California dates back more than 145 years – with generations of employee families, operations and business partners throughout Southern California,” Mike Wirth, Chevron’s Chairman and CEO, said in the statement.
“We are heartbroken by the devastation in Los Angeles, inspired by the bravery of first responders and stand committed to assisting with relief and recovery efforts throughout greater Los Angeles County,” he added.
Chevron operates crude oil fields, technical facilities, pipeline assets and two refineries, and supplies more than 1,800 retail stations, in California, the statement highlighted.
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