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GREEN RIVER, Wyo. – The Wyoming Highway Patrol has completed on-scene data collection at the site of the Interstate 80 Green River Tunnel crash.  Troopers do not expect there to be additional fatalities in the investigation. WHP believes 26 vehicles were involved in the event: 10 passenger vehicles and 16 commercial vehicles. Six commercial vehicles and two passenger vehicles were completely destroyed by the fire.  “Our hearts are heavy with the loss of these three individuals and we mourn with their loved ones,” said Col. Tim Cameron. “We ask that everyone respect the privacy of the families as they grieve. Details regarding the deceased will be shared when available.”  Off-Duty Trooper Involved in Crash An off-duty Trooper was involved in the crash, but was not injured. The Trooper attempted to help people evacuate the tunnel. This Trooper is an active witness and not available for interviews and will not be identified at this time. “Responding to calls like these weighs heavy on the hearts of first responders involved, and the WHP is here to support you,” Cameron said. “Our Chaplains would be happy to speak with any first responder who needs support.”  Work Continues in Clean-Up Efforts Troopers will use all the evidence collected to digitally reconstruct the crash to determine narratives, causes and other details. Work preparing the eastbound tunnel for head-to-head traffic is ongoing. WYDOT’s contractor DeBernardi Construction is placing concrete barriers for the transitions into the tunnel and to separate lanes within the tunnel. The speed limit while traffic moves head-to-head will be 35 mph, and delays are expected. “WYDOT has experience temporarily moving traffic head-to-head in the tunnels,” said John Eddins, WYDOT District 3 Engineer. “With reduced speeds and additional signage, we see this as a safe solution to minimize traffic impacts to the community of Green River. But with the high traffic volumes on I-80, there will still be some delays for drivers.” Oversized Vehicles Must Use Detours WYDOT urges traffic to obey all posted speed limits and traffic control. There will be a 10.5 ft. width and 16 ft. height restriction through the head-to-head lanes in the eastbound tunnel. Oversized vehicles should contact WYDOT’s oversize loads permit office for detours. Info at https://whp.wyo.gov/commercial-carrier/ports-of-entry In the meantime, WYDOT urges drivers to take it slow on the current detour through the community of Green River. “There will be increased Trooper presence around the tunnels and within Green River to ensure safe driving and slower speeds,” Cameron said. “Use caution with GPS, as it may identify suggested routes that are not suitable for interstate traffic.” 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Harsh weather moved west on Monday as a polar vortex was expected to grip the Rockies and the northern Plains after winter storms pummeled the eastern U.S. over the weekend, killing at least 10 people, including nine victims in Kentucky who died during flooding from heavy rains. The National Weather Service warned of “life-threatening cold” into Tuesday, with temperatures in northeastern Montana predicted to dip as low as 45 degrees below zero (-42.7 degrees Celsius) with wind chills down to 60 below (-51 degrees Celsius). Meteorologists said several states would experience the 10th and coldest polar vortex event this season. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually stays near the North Pole into the U.S. and Europe. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday that the death toll rose to nine. “I am sad to share some more tough news tonight, Kentucky. We just confirmed another weather-related death out of Pike County, bringing our total loss to 9 people.” Beshear had said earlier Sunday that at least 1,000 people stranded by floods had to be rescued. President Donald Trump approved Kentucky’s request for a disaster declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts throughout the state. Beshear said most of the deaths, including a mother and 7-year-old child, were caused by cars getting stuck in high water. “So folks, stay off the roads right now and stay alive,” he said. Parts of Kentucky and Tennessee received up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain, said Bob Oravec, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service. “The effects will continue for awhile, a lot of swollen streams and a lot of flooding going on,” Oravec said Sunday. In Alabama, the weather service in Birmingham said it had confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in Hale County. Storms there and elsewhere in the state destroyed or damaged a handful of mobile homes, downed trees and toppled power lines, but no injuries were immediately reported. A state of emergency was declared for parts of Obion County, Tennessee, after a levee failed on Saturday, flooding the small community of Rives, home to around 300 people in the western part of the state. “There will be mandatory evacuations in effect for the residents in Rives due to the rising water, no electricity, and freezing temperatures creating a life-threatening situation,” Mayor Steve Carr said in a statement Sunday. In Atlanta, a person was killed when a large tree fell on a home early Sunday, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue Capt. Scott Powell. Dangerously cold wind chill temperatures as low as 50 degrees below zero (minus 45.6) were expected in most of North Dakota, which remained under an “extreme cold warning” along with large swaths of South Dakota and Minnesota, according to the weather service. Severe flooding Water submerged cars and buildings in Kentucky and mudslides blocked roads in Virginia over the weekend. Flood warnings extended throughout Tennessee and Arkansas. The mother and child were swept away Saturday night in Kentucky’s Bonnieville community, Hart County Coroner Tony Roberts said. In southeastern Kentucky, a 73-year-old man was found dead in floodwaters in Clay County, county Emergency Management Deputy Director Revelle Berry said. There were a total of four deaths in Hart County, Beshear said. The Kentucky River Medical Center in the city of Jackson said it had closed its emergency department and transferred all patients to two other hospitals in the region due to a nearby river flooding. High winds brought down trees and power poles across Albermarle County, Virginia. The Charlottesville Police Department said Sunday on social media that officers’ response times could be delayed due to “an overwhelming number of weather-related calls for service.” Police urged residents to stay off the roads. Power outages were reported along much of the eastern seaboard, from New York south to Georgia. In West Virginia, 13 southern counties were under a state of emergency for flooding and some areas were cut off to vehicle traffic Sunday. Several volunteer fire departments dealt with flooding in their own buildings while answering rescue and evacuation calls. Rockies, Midwest, Northeast hit with snow storms, Polar Vortex on the way Ice and snow made road travel treacherous in large swaths of Michigan, which remained under a winter weather advisory until Monday afternoon. Michigan State Police reported 114 crashes Sunday around the Detroit area since snow started falling Saturday. “Fortunately, most were one-car spin outs and there were no serious injuries,” Michigan State Police said on X. Authorities in Colorado reported eight people were killed in fatal vehicle crashes since Valentine’s Day and warned drivers to be cautious as the weather made driving more difficult. The causes of the fatal crashes weren’t immediately known. Also in Colorado, three state patrol cruisers that had pulled over along roadsides were struck by other vehicles, including one on Sunday where a trooper had stopped as officials prepared to close a road because of ice. In each case the troopers were out of their cruisers at the time and were uninjured. Avalanche warnings were issued for numerous areas of the Rocky Mountains stretching from Colorado to Washington state, with the danger rated highest in Utah. Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Nadia Lathan in Austin, Texas, John Raby in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. – Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers and other first responders have confirmed one additional fatality, bringing the current total to three, as they work to investigate and clear the tragic Green River Tunnel crash on Friday.  According to a Wyoming Department of Transportation press release, additional details will be provided as they become available.  Clean-up Continues  WHP has cleared about half of the vehicles involved in the tunnel fire. They have been moved to the middle of the 1,200 ft. tunnel. On Saturday, four passenger vehicles and nine commercial vehicles were removed from the crash site. WHP believes 26 vehicles were involved in the event: 10 passenger vehicles and 16 commercial vehicles. Six commercial vehicles and two passenger vehicles were completely destroyed by the fire.  Emergency Contracting  Through an emergency contracting process, WYDOT has contracted DeBernardi Construction to begin moving concrete barriers to the crossover lanes in preparation for guiding traffic head-to-head in the eastbound tunnel. WYDOT expects this to be in place by Wednesday. “Thank you to the community of Green River for your support in keeping traffic moving during this thorough and complicated investigation,” said John Eddins, WYDOT district engineer. “We know that the detoured traffic was very impactful to your community this weekend, and we will continue to work to minimize impacts.”  Tunnel Height Restrictions  There will be a 10.5 ft. width and 16 ft. height restriction through the head-to-head lanes in the eastbound tunnel. Oversized vehicles should contact WYDOT’s oversize loads permit office for detours. Info at https://whp.wyo.gov/commercial-carrier/ports-of-entry. WYDOT and WHP are working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board on parallel crash investigations. Any questions about the NTSB investigation must be directed to NTSB’s Office of Media Relations. 

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. – A fiery Wyoming crash has devastated the Green River Tunnels on Interstate 80, according to a Wyoming Department of Transportation press release. Personnel from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, WDOT, and other state and local partners actively working the scene. Active fire within the tunnel delayed initial investigation efforts, but the WHP Crash Investigation Team has arrived on scene and will provide details as available. There is no update on the number of fatalities or injuries. An original report stated at least two people dead and five others seriously injured. Working Through the Night “First responders bravely worked through the night to fight the fire in the tunnel, and we could not be more appreciative of their teamwork and support,” said WHP Lt. Col. Karl Germain. Initial investigations show the Friday crash involved multiple passenger and commercial vehicles in the middle and western parts of the westbound tunnel located at mile marker 90.2 on I-80. More information will be provided as available. Traffic Diverted WHP and local wrecker companies are working to clear damaged and abandoned vehicles out of the tunnel. Traffic continues to be routed around the crash. Westbound traffic is being diverted at mile marker 91 and eastbound at mile marker 89 through Green River. WYDOT engineers are confident in the structural integrity of the eastbound tunnel. They believe it will carry traffic again once the crash scene is cleared. The crash in the tunnel caused electrical equipment and lighting to fall from the ceiling. Soot from the fire is thick and will need to be cleaned. WYDOT engineers are waiting for the crash scene to be cleared to conduct full assessments of the westbound tunnel. “Initial investigations show no sign of collapse in the westbound tunnel,” said WYDOT director Darin Westby. “I continue to keep those involved in the crash and the first responders on scene in my thoughts and prayers.”

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. (AP) — A fiery pileup Friday at an Interstate 80 tunnel in southwestern Wyoming killed at least two people, seriously injured at least five others and shut down the highway. The crash involved an unknown number of trucks and other vehicles inside and outside the tunnel at Green River. Black smoke and exploding tires made getting inside difficult for rescuers, Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Nicholas Warren said. The crash in the twin tunnel’s westbound tube late Friday morning closed the highway in both directions, with still no estimate by late afternoon when it would reopen. Highway traffic was being rerouted through Green River. A statement from nearby Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County urged people not to visit unless they had an emergency or family in the “mass casualty” wreck. Hospital spokeswoman Lena Warren said she did not know yet how many victims were admitted. The quarter-mile (400-meter) tunnel goes under Castle Rock, a sandstone formation that stands over Green River, the Sweetwater County seat of 11,500 people.  

CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ark. — Arkansas’ Highway Police say it uncovered an illegal marijuana shipment on Feb. 10 on Interstate 40 in Crawford County. The Department of Transportation, who dispatches the Highway Police, says officers uncovered a shipment of pot in a commercial motor vehicle during a safety inspection. Officers discovered seven pallets of marijuana after Mack, AHP’s newest K-9 officer, alerted to the presence of drugs. The shipment totaled approximately 4,900 pounds and the street value is estimated at over $16 million. According to AHP Chief, Jeff Holmes, AHP drug seizures have been known to reach between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds, and this case ranks among the top five largest on record. “Our officers are trained to detect illegal activity while inspecting commercial motor vehicles,” Holmes said. “In this instance, the officer, alongside his K-9 partner, Mack, was simply doing his job – ultimately preventing a significant shipment of illegal drugs from reaching their destination.” The 27-year-old driver was believed to be traveling from California to Georgia. He was arrested at the scene for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and is being held at the Crawford County Detention Center. This seizure comes on the heels of a 2,872 pound confiscation by the Arkansas State Police that occurred on Monday, February 3. “We recently brought back our K-9 program.  I am proud of our officers and their K-9 partners in their commitment to addressing the problem of transporting illegal substances across our highways,” said Director Jared Wiley.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers introduced a bill in Congress on Wednesday titled the Fair Sharing of Highways and Roads for Electric Vehicles (Fair SHARE) Act.  The legislation’s sponsors U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the bicameral Fair SHARE Act to impose one-time fees on electric vehicles (EVs) to ensure EVs contribute to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) as internal combustion vehicles do. “The Highway Trust Fund is on the road to insolvency,” Johnson said in a press release issued by his office. “It’s time to consider real changes and ensure EVs pay their fair share to maintain our roads and bridges. I’m grateful for Senator Fischer’s leadership on this bill that will undoubtedly create a more stable Highway Trust Fund, ensuring the government can continue to make meaningful investments in our road infrastructure needs.” Fischer’s office followed suit with a statement of its own. “EVs can weigh up to three times as much as gas-powered cars, creating more wear and tear on our roads and bridges,” Fischer said. “It’s only fair that they pay into the Highway Trust Fund just like other cars do. The Fair SHARE Act will require EVs to pay their fair share for the upkeep of America’s infrastructure.” Some heavy hitters in the trucking industry followed suit with support including the American Trucking Association. The ATA’s Senior VP of Legislative and Government Affairs Henry Hanscom had strong words of support for the bill. “All Americans benefit from a robust and safe transportation system. When it comes to paying for the maintenance and expansion of our road network, no one should get a free ride,” Hanscom said. “The trucking industry makes up just four percent of the vehicles on our nation’s highways, yet we pay nearly half the tab into the federal Highway Trust Fund—all while moving over 70 percent of the domestic freight tonnage. Clearly trucks are doing their part to invest in the nation’s infrastructure, and it is reasonable to expect electric vehicles to do the same. As fuel efficiency rises and adoption rates for alternative fuels accelerate, we must find long-term, sustainable, and equitable sources of revenue for the HTF. We commend Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Dusty Johnson for leading this effort to ensure that electric vehicles are paying their fair share.” “For nearly 70 years, purchasers of gasoline, diesel, gasohol, liquified natural gas and liquified petroleum gas have supported the maintenance and improvement of the nation’s roads and bridges,” said Dave Bauer, President and CEO of American Road & Transportation Builders Association. “The lone exception to this user-fairness principle remains vehicles powered by electricity. Thankfully, Senator Fischer and Representative Johnson have introduced the Fair SHARE Act to correct this oversight and improve mobility for all Americans.” “This measure will provide a sustainable, long-term revenue stream to the Highway Trust Fund, allowing the construction employers to maintain and rebuild our nation’s roads and bridges,” said Jeff Shoaf, CEO of The Associated General Contractors of America. “The legislation will close a loophole for electric vehicles, which currently do not currently contribute to the Fund. Instead of giving them a free ride, this measure simply asked electric vehicle users to take part in the same user-pay approach that enabled the U.S. to build and maintain the highway network.” The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) today announced its support for the measure. “America’s truckers are the backbone of our supply chain and make significant contributions to maintaining our roads and bridges by paying several taxes that support the Highway Trust Fund,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer.“However, truckers are understandably frustrated that EVs currently pay nothing to the HTF despite having equal access to the roads and highways maintained by taxpayers. OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we represent appreciate the leadership of Senator Fischer and Representative Johnson in ensuring fairness on America’s roadways. We understand the importance of investing in the vital infrastructure that keeps our economy moving.” What does the Fair Sharing of Highways and Roads for Electric Vehicles Act (Fair SHARE Act) do? Impose a one-time fee of $1,000 on all-electric vehicles at the manufacturer level, at the point of sale. This fee would be appropriated to the HTF. The $1,000 fee is derived from the average amount consumers currently contribute to the HTF from gas taxes calculated over a span of 10 years. Internal combustion engines have an average lifespan of 100,000 miles, which equates to approximately 10 years. According to the Congressional Budget Office, light-duty vehicles typically contribute an average of $100 per year to the HTF. The average lifespan of an electric battery is 10-15 years. A comparable fee over 10 years for an EV would amount to around $1,000. Impose a one-time fee of $550 on each battery module with a weight greater than 1,000 pounds to be imposed at the manufacturing level and would be appropriated to the HTF. The Fair SHARE Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Cinthia Lummis (R-WY), and U.S. Representative Dave Taylor (R-OH) What is the Highway Trust Fund? The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) supports over 90 percent of federal highway aid to states. The HTF was meant to be funded primarily by federal gas tax. The HTF now faces insolvency. Projections from the Congressional Budget Office show the HTF becoming insolvent in 2028. The HTF instability has worsened due to EV adoption, which is being encouraged at the federal level through tax incentives. Because EVs do not use gas, they do not contribute to the HTF through the federal gas tax. However, since the gas tax was last raised in 1993, the HTF faces insolvency due to more fuel-efficient vehicles on the roads, leading to reduced fuel consumption. EVs are not subject to the gas tax and do not contribute to the HTF. Furthermore, their heavy batteries (up to triple the weight of gas-powered cars) lead to more extensive road wear, causing more maintenance and greater costs. This legislation would fix this discrepancy by implementing a fee at the manufacturer level at the point of sale of EVs. This ensures that every vehicle on the road is paying into the HTF and supporting critical repairs to America’s infrastructure.

WASHINGTON — Traffic congestion is a hot topic in most major cities. Recently, the American Transportation Research Institute released its 14th annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America, with the interchange of Interstate 95 and State Route 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, ranking as the most congested freight bottleneck in the country.   What city had the most bottlenecks on the list? Atlanta. As Congress prepares to reauthorize the nation’s surface transportation programs, this timely analysis can help local, state, and federal governments target funding where it is needed most. ATRI’s analysis also quantifies the value of infrastructure investment through a spotlight on Chicago’s Jane Byrne Interchange.  Once the number one truck bottleneck in the country for three years in a row, the recently constructed interchange saw rush hour truck speeds improve by nearly 25 percent after construction was completed. “Delays inflicted on truckers by congestion are the equivalent of 436,000 drivers sitting idle for an entire year,” said ATRI President and COO Rebecca Brewster. “These metrics are getting worse, but the good news is that states do not need to accept the status quo.  Illinois was once home to the top bottleneck in the country, but following a sustained effort to expand capacity, the Jane Byrne Interchange in Chicago no longer ranks in the top 10.  This data gives policymakers a road map to reduce chokepoints, lower emissions, and drive economic growth.” The 2025 Top Truck Bottleneck List measures the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 325 locations on the national highway system. The analysis, based on an extensive database of freight truck GPS data, uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location.  ATRI’s truck GPS data is also used to support the U.S. Department of Transportation Freight Mobility Initiative.  The bottleneck locations detailed in this latest ATRI list represent the top 100 congested locations, although ATRI continuously monitors more than 325 freight-critical locations. For the seventh year in a row, the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 near the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, is the top freight bottleneck in the country. The Georgia capital had three on the Top 10 list including I-285 at I-85 (North), I-75 at I-285 (North), and I-20 at I-285 (West). Others include two in Houston on I-45 at I-69/US 59, and I-10 at I-45, Nashville on I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East), Los Angeles on SR 60 at SR 57, and Cincinnati on I-71 at I-75. ATRI’s analysis, which utilized data from 2024, found traffic conditions continue to deteriorate from recent years, in some instances due to work zones resulting from increased infrastructure investment. Average rush hour truck speeds were 34.2 MPH, down three percent from the previous year.  Among the top 10 locations, average rush hour truck speeds were 29.7 MPH.  In addition to squandering time and money, these delays waste fuel – with trucks burning an estimated 6.4 billion gallons of diesel fuel and producing more than 65 million metric tons of additional carbon emissions while stuck in traffic jams. “As the Trump Administration and new Congress kick off the process of reauthorizing the federal highway bill, this report provides a precise blueprint on where to begin,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “These traffic bottlenecks not only choke our supply chains, adding $109 billion annually to the cost of transporting the everyday goods that Americans depend on, but they also impact the quality of life for all motorists who rely on the national highway system to commute to work, school, church, and other life events. Targeted investments to reduce this traffic congestion are exactly the kinds of projects, with a measurable return on investment, that taxpayers come to expect of their elected officials.”

Snow, sleet and freezing rain were expected to continue pummeling the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states Wednesday, while California readied for a storm that could flood areas ravaged by the recent wildfires. Especially heavy snowfall — up to nearly 14 inches (25 centimeters) — was expected in parts of Virginia and West Virginia, according to the National Weather Service. Ice accumulations could reach more than a third of an inch (8.4 millimeters) in Stanleytown, Virginia, and a quarter of an inch (6.3 millimeters) in Glendale Springs, North Carolina. In California, an atmospheric river — a long band of water vapor that can transport moisture from the tropics to more northern areas — was expected to move in late Wednesday, likely flooding urban areas across central and Southern California, according to the weather service. The snowstorm that blew into the mid-Atlantic states on Tuesday caused accidents on icy roads and prompted school closures. By Tuesday night, nearly 12,000 people in Virginia had lost power, according to PowerOutage.us. “Stay home and off the roads tonight, Virginia,” the Virginia Department of Transportation posted on social media Tuesday night, alongside a meme of Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” saying, “There’s no place like home.” In parts of Baltimore and Washington, an inch (2.5 centimeters) of snow was falling each hour, according to the weather service. All Washington public schools were closed Wednesday due to the weather. Appalachian Power, which serves 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, said Tuesday it had 5,400 workers dedicated to restoring power. About 65 Virginia National Guard soldiers were at facilities along the Interstate 95 and state Route 29 corridors and in southwest Virginia to support the storm response, guard officials said. Another 20 soldiers and members of the Virginia Defense Force were in support roles. Winter storm warnings extended from northwest North Carolina to southern New Jersey, and the snow-and-ice mix was expected to become all rain by Wednesday afternoon as temperatures climb. Meanwhile a separate storm system was expected to dump heavy snow on an area stretching from Kansas to the Great Lakes starting Tuesday night, the weather service said. The Kansas Legislature canceled Wednesday meetings because of the weather, and Gov. Laura Kelly closed state offices in the capital, Topeka. Hundreds of accidents In Virginia, where Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency and schools and government offices were closed Tuesday, state police reported 700 accidents and dozens of injuries Tuesday. Although Matt Demlein, a spokesperson for the Virginia State Police, said they can’t say definitively that all were weather related. In southern West Virginia, multiple crashes temporarily shut down several major highways Tuesday. Smith’s Towing and Truck Repair responded to at least 15 calls, mostly from tractor-trailer drivers who got stuck on Interstate 64 in Greenbrier County near the Virginia border, dispatcher Kelly Pickles said. “Basically they just get sucked over into the median or they go off of the interstate just a little bit on the right-hand side,” she said. “And they just don’t have enough power in their vehicles to get back onto the road due to the icy conditions.” ‘Skating rinks instead of roads’ Paige Williams, who owns Downtown Books in Lexington, Virginia, closed her store Tuesday because of the weather. She hoped to reopen Wednesday, noting that Lexington and surrounding Rockbridge County are dependable when it comes to clearing the roads. But with temperatures on either side of freezing Tuesday night and Wednesday, the rain that is supposed to follow could make the roads better or worse. “It’s just going to depend on where those temperatures go,” Williams said. “Rain can clear things off. And rain can also freeze. And then you have a lot of skating rinks instead of roads.” Bitter cold temperatures An Arctic air mass stretched from Portland, Oregon, to the Great Lakes. The temperature bottomed out Tuesday morning at minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) in Butte, Montana, where over the past two winters at least five people died from cold exposure, said Brayton Erickson, executive director of the Butte Rescue Mission. Advocates for homeless people in the city of about 35,000 were out on the streets distributing sleeping bags, jackets, mittens and other cold weather gear to anyone who needed them, according to Erickson. “When it gets this cold, we kind of pull out all the stops,” Erickson said. In Oregon’s Multnomah County, officials extended a state of emergency through at least Thursday. Five emergency shelters were set to open Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon. Midweek wind chill readings could dip to 10 degrees (minus 12 Celsius) in Portland, the weather service said. California rains The atmospheric river was expected to arrive in California starting late Wednesday and to peak Thursday, according to Miles Bliss, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Along with flooding, heavy snowfall was expected in the Sierra Nevada. More than 700,000 sandbags have been arranged across central and Southern California, according to the California Department of Water Resources.  

EL PASO, Texas — A Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle undocumented noncitizens for financial gain and alleged drug trafficking activity, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas. According to court documents, between on or about Dec. 21, 2023 and Feb. 5, 2025, Manuel Perez Jr., 32, of El Paso, allegedly smuggled and attempted to smuggle undocumented noncitizens into the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Announced by US Attorney Jaime Esparza, the indictment alleges that Perez admitted on multiple instances a vehicle driven by an undocumented noncitizen at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso as part of human smuggling operations. Additionally, Perez Jr. allegedly conspired to possess a substance containing at least 5kg of cocaine from on or about Nov. 1, 2019 through and including Feb. 5, 2025, to distribute throughout Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and elsewhere. Perez Jr. is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for financial gain, three counts of bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain, and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, he faces a up to five years in federal prison for the human smuggling conspiracy charge, three to 10 years in prison for each of the three additional human smuggling charges, and 10 years to life for the drug trafficking charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a statement in response to the officer’s arrest. “To traffic drugs and smuggle humans while wearing the badge is not only a disgusting betrayal of our patriotic Customs and Border Protection agents, but of our nation and the American people,” she said. “Manuel Perez will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

A wintry mess was bearing down on mid-Atlantic states Tuesday with forecasts of significant snow and ice accumulations prompting warnings of potential power outages. Travel will become treacherous Tuesday through early Wednesday in much of Virginia and West Virginia the National Weather Service said. Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, allowing state agencies to assist local governments. Schools and government offices throughout Virginia were closed Tuesday. The heaviest snow, up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters), was forecast in portions of northern and central Virginia and eastern West Virginia. Ice accumulations could range from a glaze in Kentucky and West Virginia to a half-inch (1.3 centimeters) in the Roanoke Valley of southwest Virginia, the weather service said. Power outages and tree damage were likely in places with heavy ice buildups. “Did you think winter was over? Think again!” the weather service’s office in Blacksburg, Virginia, said in a post on the social media platform X. Snow mixed with sleet spread into western Virginia and North Carolina early Tuesday, with snow expected to quickly worsen road conditions in the morning before freezing rain moves in during the afternoon, the office said in posts Tuesday. Appalachian Power, which serves 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, said it has requested 700 additional workers from neighboring utilities to assist with problems by Tuesday morning. In East Tennessee, forecasters warned that the flood threat will increase throughout the week, with up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain possible by Sunday. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it was taking steps to capture runoff and mitigate flood risk, including lowering some lake levels and emptying storage reservoirs. In northern Virginia, the National Park Service closed a portion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a narrow highway that winds its way through woods along the Potomac River. The parkway connects multiple small national park sites and has historically been a trouble spot during winter storms for abandoned cars that created a slalom course for snowplows and other vehicles. Winter storm warnings extended from Kentucky to southern New Jersey, and a flood watch was posted for a wide swath of Kentucky, Tennessee, southwest Virginia and northern Georgia. The snow-and-ice mix was expected to become all rain as temperatures climb by Wednesday afternoon. A separate storm system is set to bring heavy snow from Kansas and Missouri to the Great Lakes on Wednesday, the weather service said. Dangerous cold was forecast Tuesday from an Arctic air mass stretching from Portland, Oregon, to the Great Lakes. In Detroit, two children under age 10 likely died from exposure to the cold after they were discovered with other family members Monday in a van in a casino parking garage, police said. Their family may have been living in the van, police said. “This was unnecessary. It didn’t have to happen this way,” police Capt. Nathan Duda told WJBK-TV. Officials in Oregon’s Multnomah County — who already confirmed a hypothermia death earlier this month — said three severe weather shelters with over 230 beds will open in the Portland area Monday night, when a state of emergency is set to take effect. The regional office of homeless services was also set to enhance its outreach program to distribute warm clothing, blankets and hand warmers to an estimated nearly 4,000 people living outside in the metro area. Morning low temperatures could drop under 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 6.7 Celsius) through Wednesday, and gusty winds could make temperatures feel under 10 degrees (minus 17 Celsius), the weather service office in Portland said on X. Freezing rain may hit the area from Wednesday night through Thursday night, with another system possibly bringing more precipitation over the weekend. Severe winter weather has paralyzed Portland in the past. The city, which is more used to rain, only partially treats its street grid in the event of snow and ice and does not plow side streets. Such weather in the region can also prove deadly. Last year, snow, freezing rain, ice and frigid temperatures were blamed for at least 10 deaths in Oregon from hypothermia and falling trees or utility poles. The temperature was expected to bottom out Tuesday morning at minus 33 degrees (minus 36 degrees Celsius) in Butte, Montana, where over the past two winters at least five people died due to cold exposure, said Brayton Erickson, executive director of the Butte Rescue Mission. Advocates for the homeless in the city of about 35,000 planned to be out on the streets distributing sleeping bags, jackets, mittens and other cold weather gear to anyone who needs them, Erickson said. “When it gets this cold, we kind of pull out all the stops,” he said. “Having all those resources available literally can save their life or keep them from frostbite.” In addition to the winter storms, forecasters are also looking at an atmospheric river expected in California starting Thursday, according to Brian Hurley, a senior meteorologist with the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center. It is expected to bring heavy rainfall along the coast and into the central valleys and several feet of snow in the Sierras through Saturday.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A strong storm is expected to bring moderate to heavy snowfall across parts of the Upper Great Lakes on Saturday before intensifying overnight across the Northeast. The National Weather Service said a storm over the central and southern plains will move northeastward Saturday, producing a swath of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of snow across parts of Minnesota and the Great Lakes. Saturday night into Sunday, upstate New York and New England could see up to a foot (30 centimeters) of accumulation. Hazardous travel conditions were likely due to low visibility and snow-covered roads. Meanwhile, a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Ohio Valley into the northern Mid-Atlantic region could result in significant icing in the Central Appalachians, forecasters said. Freezing rain on roadways was expected to make travel dangerous, and power outages were possible.