A powerful winter storm swept across the central and eastern United States, leaving a trail of snow and ice, disrupting travel, and causing at least five fatalities. By Monday night, over 2,300 flights had been cancelled, and nearly 200,000 customers were without power from Missouri to Virginia, according to tracking sites FlightAware and Poweroutage.us.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that while the storm was moving offshore, freezing temperatures would linger for days, with wind chills in some regions plunging below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-17°C). Cities along the US Gulf Coast were bracing for temperatures tens of degrees below average.
In Washington, snowfall closed schools and federal offices but didn’t stop Congress from meeting to mark the anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot. Residents took to the snow-covered streets, some engaging in a massive snowball fight.
Blizzard conditions in Kansas and Missouri turned highways into ice rinks, leading to multiple accidents. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported two weather-related deaths and responded to over 1,000 stranded motorists. Kansas saw three fatalities, including two from a vehicle spinout and another involving a tractor-trailer.
The storm also brought heavy snow to parts of New York and the Great Lakes, with some areas experiencing several feet of lake-effect snow. The Appalachian region faced additional peril, still recovering from a deadly hurricane last year.
Governors in several states, including Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia, declared emergencies and urged residents to stay home. Forecasters warned of another potential snowstorm later in the week, which could bring significant snowfall to Texas and the Mid-Atlantic.
Meanwhile, southern California faced extreme wind and fire danger, with gusts expected to reach 100 mph (160 km/h). Emergency crews were pre-positioned to respond to potential wildfires.
