At a Glance
- Miles has produced snowfall and strong winds from the West to Midwest and interior Northeast.
- Soaking rain on the warm side of the storm caused some flooding and ice jams.
Winter Storm Miles was a cross-country storm that produced snowfall, soaking rain and strong winds across a large part of the United States in mid-February 2022.
The storm entered the Northwest with rain and mountain snowfall on Valentine's Day.
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, Miles brought a few inches of snowfall to California's Sierra Nevada.
Thundersnow was reported late Tuesday at Lake Arrowhead in the mountains of Southern California. The storm also produced showers and storms in the lower elevations of Southern California, including some that produced small hail.
High winds on Feb. 16 in the Southwest contributed to blowing dust, including a massive dust storm in Death Valley, California.
The storm also produced snowfall in the Rockies and the adjacent High Plains through the overnight hours of Wednesday.
Denver International Airport picked up 5 inches of snowfall from Miles Wednesday to early Thursday.
During the day Thursday and into Thursday night (Feb. 17), Miles spread its snow and ice from the Central Plans to the Great Lakes.
Up to 11 inches of snow fell in the Kansas City metro area, in two separate rounds. Accompanied by thunder and lightning, snow fell at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, snarling the morning commute. Another heavy snowband then moved in around the lunch hour.
Wichita, Kansas, had a similar fate, where up to 7 inches of snow fell. Wind gusts over 40 mph piled drifts up to 18 inches high.
The storm produced up to a foot of snow in central Illinois near Manito. Many other locations in this portion of the state picked up over 6 inches of snow. Whiteout conditions were reported by Illinois state police near Champaign, Illinois, Thursday afternoon.
Snow and wind also contributed to many vehicle crashes on highways in central Illinois.
At least a quarter-inch of ice accumulation was reported in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Accumulating sleet slickened roads in St. Louis, and a glaze of ice was reported on elevated surfaces in Bloomington-Normal and Springfield, Illinois.
The Chicago metro area picked up 2 to 5 inches of snowfall, and up to 6 inches of snow fell in the Detroit metro area.
On the warm side of this storm, flooding was reported in spots from Missouri to western New York.
Some roads were closed in the Buffalo, New York, metro area.
About an inch of rain on top of leftover snowpack triggered flooding of a creek in the south side of Grand Rapids, Michigan, stranding at least one vehicle. Flood water reportedly approached some homes near Hillsdale, Michigan.
Ice jam flooding on the Vermilion River prompted water rescues in Vermilion, Ohio.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
