Bitter Cold, Snow Leads To Power Outages In Midwest, Mid-Atlantic

Headquartered in Colorado, Generator Source often deals with heavy snow, even blizzards, but this year’s La Nina conditions have made for a mild winter, but not so much in the Midwest and Mid Atlantic!

The weather pattern causes storms to dip further south along the jet stream in the Midwest as they move east with cold temperatures and snow in places not known for snowdrifts and ski resorts. The result, power outages are piling up just as fast as snowballs fly.

“We been getting calls from clients in the Virginias, Kentucky, Illinois just to name a few states getting hit hard right now,” said Tim Lathan, Business Development Manager at Generator Source. “We sent out a couple units yesterday and another four units are headed out today.

“Our Florida and Texas field service teams are also busy ensuring industrial standby generators are properly maintained," added Lathan.

"In places like Florida, low temperatures have been in the 30s," continued Lathan. "Business owners are calling our teams to make sure their heater blocks are up to speed to keep generator engines warm and ready for the next outage.”

Approximately 115,000 residents are already without power in those states Lathan mentioned, according to www.poweroutage.us. Strong winds and fires have now picked up in California with another 16,000+ without power there as of Tuesday afternoon.

In the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, the early week storm dropped temperatures. From Kansas to New Jersey, snow and ice caused problems on roads and at airports. The FAA reported a ground stoppage for flights leaving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. This stoppage is due to snow and ice.

The storm broke daily snowfall records in states across the central and eastern U.S. Early reports saw Washington, D.C. with 8.3 inches, Topeka, Kansas with 17 inches, Waldorf, Maryland at 12.4 inches, Kansas City, Missouri: 10 inches, Burchard, Nebraska with 6.4 inches, Wildwood Crest, New Jersey at 8 inches, and Alexandria, Virginia saw 11.3 inches. Plenty of snow for a snowball fight.

Tired of power outages or is downtime taking a toll on your bottom line? Generator Source offers nationwide and beyond sales of new, surplus and used industrial generators.

Combat outages with reliable standby power and never miss an opportunity again. Our sales team can ensure that we correctly match you with an ideal unit for your operation. See our inventory here.

If your operation needs field services for your generator, we can help. We operate in Colorado, Texas, and Florida. We have two locations: Pensacola and Jacksonville. Our teams cover much of the Southeast including the Gulf Coast, South and Georgia. Call the office closest to you for sales, service or rentals today.

Brighton, Colorado: (303) 500-8928
Austin, Texas: (512) 631-9998
Pensacola, Florida: (850) 378-1064
Jacksonville, Florida: (904) 914-7355

Story Summary

How has the La Nina weather pattern affected winter storms this year?
While Colorado and much of the Southwest has experienced a mild winter, La Nina has caused storms to dip further south with the jet stream over the Midwest, bringing colder temperatures and snow to unexpected areas.

Which states are currently experiencing significant power outages?
According to www.poweroutage.us, approximately 115,000 residents in Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois are without power. Additionally, over 16,000 people in California are experiencing outages due to strong winds and wildfires.

How has the recent storm impacted travel?
The storm has caused havoc on roads and at airports. A ground stoppage was issued for flights departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. due to snow and ice.


What snowfall records were broken during this storm?
Several daily snowfall records were broken, including:

• Washington, D.C.: 8.3 inches
• Topeka, Kansas: 17 inches
• Waldorf, Maryland: 12.4 inches
• Kansas City, Missouri: 10 inches
• Alexandria, Virginia: 11.3 inches

• Nationwide sales of new, surplus, and used industrial generators
• Field services for generators in Colorado, Texas, and Florida
• Rental services

• Installing standby power systems
• Ensuring regular maintenance of existing generators
• Considering rental generators for temporary power needs
• Contacting Generator Source for sales, service, or rentals