Tens of millions of Americans prepared on Sunday for a significant winter storm anticipated to deliver the most substantial snowfall and lowest temperatures seen in over a decade to various regions of the country.
States such as Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Virginia have issued states of emergency as the storm, propelled by a polar vortex, advanced eastward after impacting the central United States. Additionally, southern states including Mississippi and Florida have issued warnings regarding hazardous cold and perilous conditions, as reported by the National Weather Service.
A polar vortex refers to a region of low pressure and frigid air that rotates around each of the Earth's polar areas. Occasionally, the Arctic polar vortex becomes unstable, causing a lobe to extend southward, resulting in severe cold temperatures across parts of North America.
As the storm progressed eastward, approximately 60 million individuals across 30 states, from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic, were placed under weather alerts due to a developing low-pressure system that posed threats of heavy snowfall and debilitating ice over the forthcoming three days.
Travel disruptions
Kansas City International Airport experienced a temporary closure on Saturday as crews worked to clear the runways, resulting in delays for numerous flights, including a charter jet carrying the Kansas City Chiefs, as reported by the Associated Press.
Additionally, an 18-mile segment of Interstate 70 in Kansas was closed due to blizzard conditions, which threatened to bring up to 14 inches of snow and wind gusts reaching 40 mph. Warnings for these conditions are in effect until early Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency anticipates historic snowfall for certain areas in Kansas and Missouri, predicting over 15 inches of snow from northeastern Kansas extending into north-central Missouri, marking the heaviest snowfall in the region in a decade.
The National Weather Service cautioned that there would be "considerable disruptions to daily life," including "dangerous or impossible driving conditions and widespread closures," rendering travel "very difficult to impossible" through Sunday.
Cities such as Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis have proactively treated roads in anticipation of the storm and have established warming centers.
On Saturday afternoon and into the evening, scattered snow showers emerged across the Northern Plains. By Sunday morning, more than 2 million individuals were under a blizzard warning for most of Kansas and a significant portion of Missouri, as indicated by the weather service.
This warning signifies a potential for visibility to drop to 1/4 mile or less, accompanied by sustained winds of at least 35 mph.
On Sunday, a severe weather risk is anticipated across the lower Mississippi Valley, endangering 7 million people with the threat of tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail in cities such as Jackson, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
As the storm progresses eastward, millions of Americans are preparing for record-low temperatures, according to forecasters.
Snow is expected to reach the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians overnight into Monday morning. These snow showers are projected to persist through Monday, concluding by Tuesday morning as the system moves offshore.
Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia are among the key cities bracing for snowy and icy weather from Sunday into Monday, with certain areas in Virginia anticipating snowfall amounts between 5 to 12 inches.
Simultaneously, severe thunderstorms may impact southern states that are not typically exposed to harsh cold, including Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
On Saturday, weather-related flight delays across the country were projected to approach 7,000.
At the western edge of the low-pressure system, Denver International Airport experienced the highest number of delayed flights globally, with nearly 50% of its departures on Saturday occurring later than scheduled, as reported by FlightAware.
Major airlines such as American, Delta, Southwest, and United are eliminating change fees in anticipation of potential flight disruptions.
Following this weather system, a notable decrease in temperatures is expected for the eastern two-thirds of the nation. High temperatures are predicted to fall 10 to 25 degrees below average starting Sunday and continuing through Friday. Highs will range from single digits and teens in the Plains and Midwest to the 20s and 30s in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The most severe temperatures will be found in the northern Plains, where overnight lows could plummet to minus 20, with wind chill factors reaching around minus 40. Cold weather advisories are currently in effect from eastern Montana through Minnesota.
Post a Comment