La Niña Severe Winter Weather Foretells Damaging Storms—Power Outages

  LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ - 12/15/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Central States Through Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Expect Frigid Air with Abundant Snow and Ice

Severe winter weather driven by La Niña will affect regions across the northern tier of the United States and from the Southeast and Southern Plains through the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Portions of the central states through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will experience a colder than usual winter accompanied by above average snow while two to three ice storms are forecast to affect Northeast Texas through Tennessee this winter. Skiers will welcome above average snow in the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Expect colder than normal conditions from Wyoming and Montana through Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, possibly accompanied by above average snowfall.

According to NOAA, La Niña is one half of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a recurring weather pattern along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The pattern oscillates every two to seven years. Each phase triggers predictable, large-scale weather changes in the tropics which causes a cascade of global weather effects.

The winter storms brought by La Niña give skiers and snowboarders reason to celebrate, but the ice storms and frigid weather can make life more difficult and even dangerous for the less prepared. Ice and snow combined with sub-freezing temperatures cause power outages as ice-laden powerlines break under the weight or succumb to fallen trees and branches. Home heating systems fail during an outage and warm homes turn frigid. An outage that lasts only a day can result in burst pipes and flooded homes along with a plethora of other problems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that everyone prepare for severe winter weather and have a plan for extended power outages that includes a backup or portable generator.

After the storm, homeowners and small businesses turn to backup power systems from Norwall PowerSystems (Norwall.com). Some will turn to portable generators as a stop-gap measure. Others take a longer view and purchase backup generators for homes to ensure the power stays on whether they are at home or away on a trip to one of the popular ski resorts. Winter is a difficult time for standby generator installations and installers face a variety of issues with cold weather.

Installers work all winter long, but finding one who isn’t busy and able to schedule a home standby generator installation after a winter storm kills power to thousands of utility customers usually isn’t possible until long after the utility company restores power.

Electric Utility interruptions continue to rise as changing weather and deteriorating infrastructure take their toll on the power grid. An increasing number of homeowners and small businesses are installing the latest must-have appliance—a standby backup generator to keep the power on after storms or equipment failure.

Norwall PowerSystems, established in 1997 to specialize in the sale of emergency backup power generators and associated equipment, stocks 1,000s of standby generators, portable generators, automatic transfer switches and replacement parts in multiple warehouses throughout the US. With over 55 years of combined experience in the electrical and power plant arenas, sales staff provide courteous and knowledgeable service to customers by listening, taking notes, and providing information in a timely manner. Regular, factory-sponsored training keeps staff up to date on new products. After 20 years in business, Norwall has shipped over 200,000 generators.