Winter Storm Slams US And Leaves Millions Under Weather Alerts
Source: Luke Sharrett / Getty
An impactful winter storm has brought snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to a large portion of the United States, with over 60 million Americans now under weather warnings.
Starting on Monday, temperatures across the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience below freezing temperatures, with Kansas expected to see some of the coldest conditions. The Washington DC area will also face harsh conditions, bracing for significant snowfall.
Meteorologists attribute the extreme weather, named Storm Blair, to the polar vortex, a mass of frigid air circulating around the Arctic.
Seven states have declared a state of emergency, and much of Canada is also facing weather warnings, as the blizzard conditions have already dropped up to a foot of snow (30 cm) in some areas.
Thirty US states, spanning from the middle of the country to the east coast – including major cities such as Washington DC and Philadelphia – are under weather alerts, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
A state of emergency has been declared in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas and parts of New Jersey.
On Sunday, which was expected to be the storm’s most severe day, residents in the impacted states experienced road closures. Schools in Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, and Kentucky were closed on Monday.
Hundreds of car accidents occurred over the weekend and drivers were left stranded across several Midwestern states, including Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia.
The NWS said the winter storm could bring “the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade”, while AccuWeather forecaster Dan DePodwin said: “This could lead to the coldest January for the US since 2011.”
He added that “temperatures that are well below historical average” could linger for a week. Temperatures 12-25F (7-14C) below normal are forecast.
