美国国家公共电台 NPR Storm Systems Crashing Across Country Turn Post-Holiday Travel Into A Slog

Storm Systems Crashing Across Country Turn Post-Holiday Travel Into A Slog

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

Good morning - or is it? Maybe not if you are traveling. The weather is a beast today across much of the country as millions head home from the holidays facing snow, rain, heavy winds and many, many delays. Here's NPR's Merrit Kennedy.

MERRIT KENNEDY, BYLINE¹: This Thanksgiving weekend has already seen severe weather in many parts of the country. In Tusayan, Ariz., right by the Grand Canyon², a foot and a half of heavy, wet snow that started on the holiday knocked out the town's electricity.

CRAIG SANDERSON: When the power went out, that made things especially difficult.

KENNEDY: Mayor Craig Sanderson said the one gas station in town was out of commission. The roads were impassible, and hundreds of people were visiting his town on the night of the storm.

SANDERSON: So people were walking out on the highway in order to get from their hotel to get something to eat because a lot of the hotels didn't have food service without electrical power.

KENNEDY: The town set up a shelter and declared an emergency. Early on Saturday, crews were finally able to restore power, and traffic is moving through the roads again. But as hard-hit areas like this are digging out, storms are bearing down on other parts of the country and will likely complicate³ travel at the end of the holiday weekend.

Lara Pagano is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

LARA PAGANO: OK, so we have two main systems we're concerned about across the U.S.

KENNEDY: The first is what she calls a coast-to-coast winter storm. This system started the holiday weekend on the West Coast and has tracked steadily⁴ east. Now, after creating blizzard⁵ conditions on the High Plains, the storm is expected to dump snow and kick up high winds in the Great Lakes region today.

PAGANO: So we're seeing travel impacts for the Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes.

KENNEDY: Later in the day, the storm is predicted to hit states in the Northeast.

PAGANO: If you're trying to travel in to New York or Connecticut, Massachusetts, those areas, you're starting to get the onset⁶ of some snow into those regions as well.

KENNEDY: The second storm forecasters are worried about is bringing the West Coast heavy rain and gusty⁷ winds.

PAGANO: It's just this plume⁸ of moisture that's moving into - around San Francisco Bay region and the coastal⁹ ranges. And it's really helping¹⁰ to squeeze out a lot of that precipitation.

KENNEDY: Pagano says rainfall totals in California will likely be among the highest in the country on Sunday. The Sierra Nevada Mountains could get hit with multiple feet of snow at higher altitudes and near-whiteout conditions.

Merrit Kennedy, NPR News.

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1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

3 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

6 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

7 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

8 plume   

n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰

参考例句：

• Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
• He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。

9 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。