Author: Geoff

A relatively warm and wet weather pattern overspreading the Nation through

at least the next few days is anticipated to produce heavy precipitation

across the West Coast and parts of the Deep South. For the western U.S., a

lull in unsettled weather today will be replaced by potentially excessive

rainfall and heavy mountain snow beginning on Thursday as an initial wave

of moisture moves onshore followed by a potent atmospheric river. Most of

the potential impacts are anticipated across central/northern California

and parts of southwest Oregon. Here, rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches are

forecast through early this weekend. Heavy rain may lead to scattered

instances of flash flooding, especially near recent burn scars where

terrain is most susceptible to rapid runoff. A Slight Risk (level 2/4) of

Excessive Rainfall has been issued for these regions in order to further

highlight the flash flood threat. Heavy snow is possible across the higher

elevations of the Cascades and Sierra, with storm total snowfall amounts

up to several feet are possible. Most of the snow will be confined to the

highest terrain as warm Pacific air pushes snow levels very high and

generally above pass level. Moisture will also spread into the

Intermountain West along the strong Pacific jet stream, with moderate to

heavy snow possible across northern Nevada by Friday night.

Shifting to the central and eastern U.S., an upper-level trough swinging

into the Great Plains tonight in conjunction with a high pressure system

sliding off the East Coast will allow for an abundance of warm and moist

air to surge northward out of the Gulf of Mexico. A quick-hitting swath of

snowfall is possible to the north of a developing low pressure system

between tonight and Thursday as it progresses from Kansas to the Upper

Midwest. The best chances for over 4 inches of snow is currently expected

to remain confined to central High Plains of Colorado. Farther east,

shower and thunderstorm activity is anticipated to develop across parts of

eastern Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday and Friday as

atmospheric moisture content increases ahead of an approaching cold front.

Some isolated storms could turn severe, with damaging wind gusts the

primary risk. A few instances of flash flooding are also possible. The

active weather is expected to shift east by the end of the week and

produce locally heavy rainfall from the central Gulf Coast to parts of the

Ohio Valley.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, recovery efforts are underway to restore power and remove debris in Florida and other parts of the Southeast. Power in portions of Lee County, Florida, may be out for a month following what NOAA has declared to be the 25^th deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. As power is restored, restoration to damaged roadways and removal of debris may take months. 

As Florida rebuilds, weather impacts across the Southeast have lessened. Minor flooding is expected in Georgia and South Carolina next week, but we do not foresee significant disruptions. The following is a roundup of updates affecting the supply chain: 

The National Weather Service expects Hurricane Ian to create disruption along Florida’s west coast and panhandle y the middle of this week. The storm is expected to make its way up the Eastern Seaboard late this week and into early next week. As it reached Florida this morning (GMT) near Tampa, Ian had strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” and “life-threatening” Category 4 storm front. Commercial airlines reported more than 2,000 storm-related U.S. flight cancellations, with the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Tampa International Airport shut down on Tuesday. Catastrophic flooding is expected across portions of central Florida with considerable flooding in southern Florida, northern Florida, south eastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.

We are very pleased to announce that Liberty Express Ltd has now completed the first phase of our three-phase carbon management program. This establishes us as a carbon neutral business and results in Liberty Express being awarded neutralcarbonzone silver certification as our organisational emissions have been calculated in accordance with ISO 14064 and the GHG Protocol Corporate standard, and subsequently offset in full with certified carbon offset credits.

We will now proceed with the second phase of our program which will report on the operational emissions associated with the services we provide. Our goal is to ensure all organisational and operational emissions are being measured, reduced and managed, and any emissions we are unable to further reduce are offset to ensure complete carbon neutrality.

After a heavy deluge of snow over the US holiday weekend, the East Coast is expecting again a new front to hit on Wednesday into Thursday, with a larger weather front hitting on Friday and Saturday. With already thousands of internal flights cancelled, roads blocked and major power outages across the southern, mid and eastern states deliveries will be affected.

Storm warnings have been issued from Virginia to Maine with predicted snowfalls of between 18-24 inches in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut over the next 24-48 hours. With the capitol Washington, and the states of Baltimore and Maryland receiving between 3-8 inches on Saturday night / Sunday morning, after the Midwest states including Chicago receiving six feet of snow late last week. The last mile deliveries will be impacted due to this, but as always Liberty Express will attempt to keep parcels moving whilst airports are open.

Whilst British Airways workers in the majority of their sections are not striking, the only section that is, is by employees in its cargo division. Strike action will start at 00:01 on Friday 25th December and will end at 24.00 on Saturday the 2nd of January. At the current time of writing this update, all of our material that we have given to British Airways is due to uplift prior to the strike starting. With Liberty Express Limited only giving one of its five injection points to British Airways, we are hoping to keep delays to shipments tendered to Liberty Express on 24th, 29th and 30th December to a minimum.
We will be monitoring the situation and will make adjustments to our routings if we think that British Airways cannot service our agreement regarding uplift times and advise yourselves accordingly if we think there will be delays in the movement of your material.

Wishing you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year from all of us here at Liberty Express

Winter Storm Gail could be the first high impact snowstorm that the USA has received in over two years and is likely to cause problems beginning this afternoon for shipping companies and the airlines. Flights have started being cancelled from the UK. Deliveries along the Eastern Seaboard will be disrupted over the coming days.

From Friday 13th March 2020 all flights from mainland Europe have been suspended whilst the world comes to grips with the COVID-19 virus. The UK is not on this but many airlines are already cancelling flights to the USA due to a drop in passenger numbers.

The severe weather threat shifts east bringing with it the chance of hail, strong winds and possible tornadoes to nearly 26 million in the South. All of this is ahead of more cold air and winter weather, which could produce blizzard conditions in the Plains by midweek.