Major Winter Storm Sweeps the US Causing Travel Restrictions, Power Outages

A major winter storm with freezing rain and heavy snow sweeps across the United States, disrupting land and air travels and power supply in many areas on Thursday.

Winter storm warnings and watches have been raised from New Mexico and Colorado to Maine as the winter storm moves from the central US to the South and Northeast regions.

According to the Los Angeles Times, weather forecasters said heavy ice build was highly possible from Texas to Pennsylvania and heavy snow from the southern Rockies to northern New England.

Freezing Rain and Heavy Snow in Many Areas in The US

National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Orrison said that many areas in the country are now covered in heavy snow and experiencing "sleet and freezing rain" per NPR.

Heavy snowfall is expected in parts of Ohio, New York, and northern New England as the storm moves to the east. Some areas will experience a snowfall of 12 to 18 inches until Friday.

Strong thunderstorms capable of severe wind gusts and tornadoes were predicted Thursday in regions of Mississippi and Alabama along the storm's warmer side, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The southern Rockies received more than 20 inches of snow, while parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan received more than one foot. The Memphis weather service all warnings that include ice-covered roadways, power outages, and falling trees.

According to the National Weather Service, ice accumulations of 0.5 to 0.75 inches have been recorded in the Memphis and Covington, Tennessee areas. The service warns that the amount of ice could lead to coated roads, power outages, and downed trees. Thus an ice storm warning has been issued for the cities and neighboring areas.

"Arctic air will flow into the Midsouth today, with gusts over 30 mph possibly downing ice-covered tree limbs. Strongest winds are expected over the delta in east Arkansas, the Missouri bootheel, and northwest Tennessee."

There are at least 130,000 customers without power as a strong winter storm pushes across a massive swath of the US, according to Poweroutage.us. The affected states, per CNN, were Texas, Arkansas, India, Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware.com, airlines in the United States canceled roughly 8,000 flights scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday. More flights were canceled than usual at airports in St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, and Detroit.

Over 700 flights were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Thursday alone, with another 300 canceled at Dallas Love Field.

Some Safety Tips

Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that it would cease all flight operations at St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Wednesday and at its Dallas Love Field hub on Thursday to stay ahead of the winter storm.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the public to check with local emergency authorities on the safety of traveling in the cold. If one needs to travel, keep it as brief as you can.

Readygov posted on Twitter some quick safety tips for the residents of Central US and Northeast in case of a power outage: "Never use a gas stovetop to heat your home; Keep freezers & refrigerators closed; Disconnect appliances & electronics; Place generators outside."

Tags

Snowstorm, United States, National weather service