A sprawling storm forecast to stretch from Texas to New England is expected to bring crippling ice, heavy snow and extreme cold, placing millions under weather warnings and straining infrastructure across multiple regions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A massive winter storm sweeping toward the eastern two-thirds of the United States is expected to deliver widespread ice, heavy snow and dangerously cold temperatures, prompting emergency preparations as forecasters warn the damage could rival that of a major hurricane.
As the system approached, grocery stores reported shelves stripped of bread and canned goods, salt was being rushed to roadways, and utility crews closely monitored forecasts for potential power disruptions. According to reporting cited by the Associated Press, the storm could generate a crippling ice event from Texas through much of the South, while dumping up to a foot of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, D.C., New York and Boston.
Forecasters also warned of a surge of Arctic air trailing the storm that could drive wind chills down to minus-50 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota. About 160 million people were under winter storm or extreme cold watches or warnings, and in many areas, both.
The storm was expected to begin Friday across New Mexico and Texas, with the most severe conditions spreading into the Deep South before moving up the East Coast and delivering heavy snow to New England, the AP reported.
Cold air pouring south from Canada forced school closures in several regions. Chicago Public Schools and Des Moines Public Schools canceled classes Friday as wind chills as low as minus-35 degrees Fahrenheit were forecast, conditions that meteorologists said could cause frostbite within 10 minutes.
The prolonged cold following the storm is expected to slow recovery efforts, particularly in areas coated in ice where snow and freezing rain could weigh down trees and power lines, cutting electricity for days. Roads and sidewalks may remain hazardous well into next week, forecasters said, with freezing temperatures extending as far south as Florida.
The storm revived memories of a severe cold snap five years ago that crippled Texas’ power grid and left millions without electricity for days. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday the state is better prepared this time, stating the power system “has never been stronger, never been more prepared.”
In the Houston area, CenterPoint Energy had 3,300 workers ready to respond to outages across a network serving more than 2.8 million customers, according to Paul Lock, the company’s local government affairs director.
Meteorologists cautioned that winter storms are notoriously difficult to predict, noting that temperature differences of just a degree or two can determine whether an area experiences catastrophic ice or cold rain. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency, acknowledging that some forecasts showed devastating winter weather for Atlanta while others suggested the city could be largely spared.
In anticipation, Atlanta-area resident Jennifer Girard stocked up on blankets, batteries and food during a shopping trip in Chamblee with her 21-month-old child. “I used to live in Florida, we used to do that all the time for hurricane season, so it’s not so different,” she said.
Demand for ice melt and snow shovels surged in parts of Kentucky. At Brownsboro Hardware outside Louisville, store manager Matthew Isham said the storm “has people on edge.”
“I’ve heard a ton of people saying they don’t think they’re going to get in or out of their driveway if it does snow like they’re saying,” Isham said.
School districts also prepared for extended disruptions. North Carolina’s Wake County school system, serving 161,000 students around Raleigh, instructed nearly 11,000 teachers to prepare three days of lessons that could be accessed online or on paper.
State transportation departments from Oklahoma to Tennessee began pre-treating roads with brine, with additional states preparing to follow. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger urged residents to prepare for the possibility of days without power or the ability to leave their neighborhoods, adding that people should not hesitate to call 911 in emergencies.
Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Parker warned residents that the system “is not going to be your typical Arkansas storm system,” urging people to stay home if possible even if road conditions take days to improve.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry echoed the urgency, saying, “I beg you, please take this serious,” as officials highlighted preparations including warming centers, roughly 5,000 power line workers on standby and stockpiles of bottled water.
Travel plans and public events were already being disrupted. College sports teams adjusted schedules, the Texas Rangers canceled their annual Fan Fest, and the city of Carmel, Indiana, called off its Winter Games due to the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.
Some events pressed ahead despite the forecast. The Nashville Symphony said its weekend performances of “Frozen” would continue as scheduled, while organizers of the West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show in Charleston said the sold-out event would go on as planned.
“We’re not thinking about stopping. We don’t care if it’s rain, snow or high water,” said Glen Jarrell, a spokesperson for the West Virginia Trophy Hunters Association, which is promoting the show.
As the storm advanced, residents across the region continued preparing for what forecasters warned could be one of the most disruptive winter systems in years.
Original article
Comments