Preliminary data indicates it was an EF3 tornado, the weather service said, stronger than the EF2 estimate they made Monday.
More than 65 million people are in the path of severe weather expected to move in Tuesday night and into Wednesday from Houston to Philadelphia.
As winter weather settled over Mariposa County, one longtime local business kept its doors open for anyone who might need it.
Powerful solar activity released by the sun likely to created dazzling auroral displays in unexpected areas across the world.
In a state usually known for its drought, California is now marking a milestone: For the first time in 25 years, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports not a single square mile of dryness.