Not-so-long winter’s nap

A tumbleweed or two might bring a sense of nostalgia for the Wild West, but thick drifts of them along a Washington state highway became a hazard on New Year’s Eve. Piles rising up to 30 feet of the seed-dropping plant trapped vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, along State Route 240.

Southern California had a white Christmas a day late, closing major highways on one of the busiest travel days of the year. A winter storm system moved across the Southwest, bringing snow, ice, and a tornado to the region.

Most of the deaths caused by a Christmas typhoon in the Pacific island nation came from drowning, falling trees, and accidental electrocution. Typhoon Phanfone first made landfall on Eastern Samar province late on Christmas Eve. It then raged across seven coastal towns and island provinces on Christmas Day, destroying remote villages, tourist areas, and electrical poles in its wake. At least 28 people are dead and 12 are missing.

Below-freezing surface temperatures and fog contributed to a 69-car pileup on a Virginia interstate Sunday morning. No one died in the massive accident on an overpass on I-64 near Williamsburg, but more than 50 people sustained injuries requiring hospitalization, with two listed in critical condition and 11 treated for serious but not life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.

A storm system that brought suspected tornadoes to the Deep South on Monday killed at least three people. Storms destroyed and damaged buildings in cities across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and many school districts dismissed students early. The severe storm threat could last into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

There’s no need to start rationing French fries yet. Despite headlines warning of a possible shortage, concerns about the effect of low potato crop yields on the favorite salty side item are likely overblown, The New York Times reported.

Harsh wintry weather is preventing federal investigators from reaching the site of a plane crash in South Dakota that killed nine people over the weekend. Three others on board the single-engine aircraft are hospitalized in critical condition. The plane took off from Chamberlain, S.D., around noon on Saturday for Idaho Falls, Idaho, before crashing in an area under a winter storm warning. The passengers, ages 7 to 81, belonged to the same family and were returning from a hunting trip, according to local media.