Snow in Las Vegas by Tomasz Schafernaker
Las Vegas was transformed into a winter wonderland earlier this week, as more than 9cm (3.5 inches) of snow fell across the city, its heaviest snowfall in nearly 30 years. Flights were cancelled and roads were closed due to the bad weather. Residents and tourists were shocked to see the rare site of palm trees along the Las Vegas strip covered in a thick coating of snow.
The same storm that caused the disruption in Nevada is moving northwest on Friday, dumping a nasty mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain over states including Iowa. It is forecast to reach the northeast, bringing as much as 15cm (6 inches) for the New York area and 30cm (a foot) in parts of New England.
The recent stormy winter weather has been caused by a battle between cold, dry air to the north, and mild, moist air to the south. Winter storms are the atmosphere’s way of trying to redistribute heat more evenly.
More stormy and wintry weather is forecast for the first part of next week too, guaranteeing a white Christmas for many parts of the country.
