A massive winter storm has brought heavy snow and extreme cold to the eastern United States, with 7 states declaring a state of emergency. Reports indicate that this storm has already claimed at least 5 lives, leading to over 2,000 flight cancellations and nearly 220,000 households without power.
Over the weekend, a polar vortex moving southward left much of the region east of the Rocky Mountains in bitter cold conditions on Monday, January 6th. Many roads became treacherous, schools were forced to close, and widespread power outages and flight cancellations ensued.
The National Weather Service has warned that the frigid conditions will extend to the southern United States next. The massive storm system is set to wreak havoc in usually warmer areas, with Florida possibly experiencing low temperatures and people in Dallas, Texas having to dig out hats and gloves from their closets.
The National Weather Service indicated that wind chill temperatures in regions stretching from Texas to the entire Gulf Coast could plunge below 20°F (-6.7°C) by Tuesday morning.
A low-pressure system is expected to form in southern Texas on Wednesday, potentially bringing snow to parts including Dallas, as well as Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
On Monday, two-thirds of the eastern United States faced bone-chilling cold and snow, with temperatures in some areas far below normal levels.
Kansas, western Nebraska, and parts of Indiana saw major roads blanketed with ice and snow, prompting the deployment of National Guard units to assist stranded motorists.
A cold weather alert was issued for the Gulf Coast region on Tuesday. Wind chill temperatures in and around Austin, Texas may drop to as low as 15°F (-9.4°C).
Northeastern states are also expected to endure several more days of frigid weather.
Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky saw hundreds of car accidents. In Virginia alone, authorities handled at least 430 crashes over Sunday and Monday, with one resulting in a fatality.
Weather-related fatal accidents were reported near Charleston, West Virginia on Sunday and Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Monday.
Kansas witnessed two deadly car accidents over the weekend.
According to tracking platform FlightAware, as of Monday night, over 2,300 flights across the U.S. had been canceled, with at least 9,100 flights delayed.
Reagan National Airport in Washington reported that around 58% of incoming flights and 70% of departures were canceled.
Sunday saw record-breaking snowfall of 8 inches at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, leading to dozens of flight cancellations. The Cincinnati area experienced around 4 inches of snow on Monday, causing multiple car accidents and at least two main roads into the city center to shut down.
In Indiana, snow covered Interstates 64 and 69 as well as U.S. Route 41, prompting officials to advise people to stay home.
The Mid-Atlantic region saw snowfall ranging from 6 to 12 inches on Monday. Extremely cold temperatures are expected to persist, with overnight lows dropping to below 10°F (-12.22°C) across the Midwest plains, and Mississippi and Ohio River valleys this week.
The National Weather Service projects 2 to 5 inches of snow in northern Texas starting on Thursday. Oklahoma and Arkansas may also see snow, with some areas possibly getting over 4 inches.
School closures were widespread, with parts of Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Kansas canceling classes on Monday. Public schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky called off classes and activities for nearly 100,000 students.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Sunday, leading to the closure of the state government offices on Monday. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency, with state government offices closed on Monday.
Due to the sudden drop in temperatures, many residents found themselves in darkness. PowerOutage.us data reported more than 218,000 households without power on Monday night in Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and North Carolina.
Officials in Richmond, Virginia, said power outages caused a temporary malfunction in the water supply system on Monday afternoon.
Residents were advised against consuming tap water or using it for cleaning kitchen utensils without boiling it first. The city also urged water conservation measures, such as shortening shower times.
Officials assured that efforts were underway to restore the water supply system.
(This article references relevant reports from The Associated Press)