Today’s top weather news: Rain, snow slows holiday Christmas travel from West to East

Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It’s Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Start your day with everything you need to know about today’s weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

Christmas travel forecast shows rain, snow likely impacting millions across US

The FOX Forecast Center is closely monitoring a series of storm systems set to impact the eastern half of the country this week, just as holiday travel begins to ramp up. 

The only region likely to escape the active weather is the Upper Midwest, while most other regions can expect periods of heavy rain, likely causing travel disruptions for millions – whether on the road or in the air.

The FOX Forecast Center is monitoring travel conditions ahead of Christmas, tracking a series of storms as travelers start to hit the roads and take to the air.

(FOX Weather)

Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes Vanuatu, causing considerable damage to US Embassy

A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the island nation of Vanuatu in the Pacific on Tuesday, causing considerable damage to numerous homes and businesses, including a complex that houses the U.S. Embassy.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck just off the coast to the west of the capital city of Port Vila, prompting officials to issue tsunami warnings that were eventually lifted. 

World’s largest iceberg breaks free after months of spinning in the Antarctic

The world’s largest iceberg is on the move in the Southern Ocean after spinning for months. Iceberg A23a weighs nearly 1 trillion tons and is twice the size of Greater London, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). 

A23a calved from Antarctica‘s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. The colossal iceberg remained attached to the seabed until 2020 when it started moving north in the Wedell Sea toward warmer waters, BAS said. 

Watch: Bear nestles in for hibernation at Yellowstone

A black bear was caught on video earlier this month readying itself for hibernation this winter in Yellowstone National Park.

In the video, the bear pulls dirt and other debris toward its den before slowly backing itself deep into the hole and settling in. 

Bears aren’t true hibernators like some animals, but they do enter a state of slumber called torpor.

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