US winter storms: Heavy snow, howling winds and air so cold it instantly turns boiling water to ice, engulfing much of the country, including the normally temperate southern states.
Winter storms in the United States (US) have brought damaging winds and freezing temperatures that caused power outages, closed highways, grounding flights and Christmas misery for commuters.
Heavy snow, howling winds, and air so cold it instantly turns boiling water to ice engulfed much of the country, including the normally temperate southern states.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), more than 200 million Americans were subject to weather warnings as a wind chill dropped temperatures as low as -55 Fahrenheit (-48 Celsius).
Here's a 10-Point Guide to US Winter Storms
1) The nation is in the grip of a deep freeze as the Arctic 'bomb' cyclone, a 'once in a generation' winter storm, brings temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit (Celsius).
2) More than a million US power customers were in the dark on Friday as a "bomb cyclone" winter storm battered the country.
3) In Chicago, Burke Patton of Night Ministry, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the homeless, said: "We provide cold weather gear, coats, hats, gloves, thermal underwear, blankets and sleeping bags, as well as Giving hands too. And foot warmers."
A snowplow drives past people walking in the street during a major winter storm on December 23, 2022 in London, Ontario, Canada. (AFP)
4) President Joe Biden issued an alert on Friday and said, "It's dangerous and dangerous, it's really very severe weather and it goes from Oklahoma to Wyoming and Maine." ... That's why I encourage everyone to heed local warnings."
5) Indiscriminate whitewashing and dangerous road conditions were already spreading, according to the American Automobile Association, even as 100 million people were expected to hit the streets.
6) Transportation departments in North and South Dakota, Oklahoma, Iowa and elsewhere reported near-zero visibility whiteouts, snow-covered roads and blizzard conditions, and strongly urged residents to stay home.
7) Nearly 5,000 US flights were canceled on Friday and another 7,600 delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, at several international hubs in New York, Seattle and Chicago's O'Hare, AFP reported.
Passengers wait at Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as snow falls on December 23, 2022. (AFP)
8) Conditions were cold enough that people posted videos of themselves completing the "boiling water challenge," where boiling water is thrown into the air and instantly freezes.
9) Dangerous storm surge is expected to hit everyone east of the Rockies - about two-thirds of the country. Although much of the West Coast will be protected from the cold, the Arctic Front is expected to move east and south through Florida.
10) Experts predict that shortly after Christmas, temperatures will begin to warm again, moving from west to east. In most parts of the US, they are likely to remain normal by the end of the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment