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Huge snowball fight breaks out in Washington, D.C. after storm
A massive snowball fight erupted at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C., following the accumulation of at least 5 inches of snow.
WASHINGTON – A lethal winter storm that covered the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic areas with snow had mostly diminished by Tuesday morning, leaving frigid temperatures in its aftermath as tens of thousands remained without electricity and closures were ongoing.
The storm struck a stretch of the nation extending from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey with significant snowfall and ice, prompting emergency declarations as disruptions escalated on roadways and at airports. The storm shattered daily snowfall records across states in the central and eastern United States.
The substantial snow led to widespread school shut downs and the closing of federal office buildings in Washington, D.C., which continued on Tuesday while snow still blanketed the city. The severe weather also affected the planning of Tuesday’s funeral events in honor of former President Jimmy Carter.
Snow and ice rendered driving conditions hazardous and induced extensive delays and cancellations at airports. Major routes, including I-70, were shut down due to the dangers, although hundreds of drivers still found themselves stranded in conditions resembling a blizzard.
Over 200,000 residences and businesses from Missouri to Virginia woke up without power on Tuesday, down from more than 280,000 outages reported a day earlier. Many of those without electricity resided in regions with wind chills dipping below zero, including Virginia and West Virginia, where cold weather warnings were active Tuesday morning.
Updates:
∎ A ground halt was implemented for flights departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C. Tuesday morning “due to snow or ice,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
∎ The severe weather postponed a service for former President Jimmy Carter in the Capitol Rotunda by 90 minutes where members of Congress will pay their respects before Carter lies in state Tuesday night and Wednesday.
What was the snowfall across the US?
Snow, sleet, and freezing rain from this winter storm affected around a dozen states from Saturday morning to Tuesday morning, as reported by the National Weather Service. Here are some of the preliminary snowfall amounts:
- Washington, D.C.: 8.3 inches
- Topeka, Kansas: 17 inches
- Waldorf, Maryland: 12.4 inches
- Kansas City, Missouri: 10 inches
- Burchard, Nebraska: 6.4 inches
- Wildwood Crest, New Jersey: 8 inches
- Alexandria, Virginia: 11.3 inches
Another storm predicted to bring snow from Texas eastward
This forthcoming storm is expected to begin spreading snow and ice from the Texas/Mexico border on Wednesday night, eventually moving across a large portion of the southern and possibly eastern U.S. by the week’s end. Its trajectory in the east remains uncertain, but AccuWeather indicated it could cause additional effects in regions of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and even New England, depending on its exact course.
“In areas that rarely experience snow or ice, such as Austin, Dallas, Little Rock, and Nashville, it will be significant,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines to USA TODAY on Monday.
-Doyle Rice
Richmond remains under boil water advisory
Residents in Richmond, Virginia, awoke to a boil water advisory on Tuesday with many reporting a total loss of service following a winter storm that caused a power outage affecting the city’s water treatment facility on Monday.
Mayor Danny Avula mentioned at a news briefing Tuesday morning that crews managed to get two pumps operational, and if they keep filling the water tanks, pressure should return to residents’ faucets “somewhere in the four to six hour range.”
“I express that with some caution due to the fact that the plant has incurred considerable water damage,” he warned.
The last time Richmondfaced a boil water warning in 2003 during Hurricane Isabel, as per a declaration from the city. The local sheriff’s department has collaborated with other organizations, including the American Red Cross, to provide bottled water to the city’s homeless community.
Hundreds of schools remain closed after winter storm
Widespread school closures were enacted Tuesday as snow and ice continued to pose a travel risk throughout the central and eastern regions of the U.S.
School districts closed classrooms for a second consecutive day in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington D.C.
Although many schools did not reopen on Tuesday, several intended to conduct classes online. Monday was set to be the first day back for many students after their winter holiday.
More than 200k without electricity across central, eastern US
Hundreds of thousands of residences and businesses were without power Tuesday morning.
The state with the highest number of blackouts was Virginia, reporting 62,000 outages, followed closely by Kentucky with 33,000, West Virginia 33,000, Indiana 32,000, Illinois 23,000, and Missouri 19,000, as reported by PowerOutage.us.
Frigid temperatures exacerbated by strong winds have settled across the Mid-Atlantic region Tuesday morning, prompting weather authorities to advise residents to find warmth.
“Extremely cold conditions coupled with power disruptions may lead to challenges regarding heating,” the weather service office in Blacksburg, Virginia, cautioned, forecasting 40 mph wind gusts.
Pandas frolic in the fresh snow at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao relished about five inches of fresh snow in their enclosure at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Flight cancellations, delays continue
Over 130 flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. have been canceled as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to FlightAware. The airport temporarily shut its runways Monday night for crews to clear snow and prevent refreezing on the airfield.
At Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, at least 110 flights have been canceled, as per FlightAware.
Flights at LaGuardia Airport in New York City faced average delays of 40 minutes “due to wind,” as stated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Storm-related fatalities
The potent winter storm has been linked to multiple deaths across the Midwest since it swept through the area last weekend.
In Kansas, law enforcement authorities reported two fatalities in a weather-related accident in Sedgwick County, which includes the city of Wichita.
In Mound City, Missouri, a man was hit and killed by a sliding vehicle, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a deadly accident involving a Transportation Department snowplow truck that occurred Saturday in Greenfield Township over the weekend.
Hazardous windstorm set to impact California
As the Midwest and Atlantic regions contend with the winter storm, California is facing its own hazards from a “life-threatening, destructive, widespread” windstorm. The storm is predicted to persist from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning, bringing with it an elevated risk for fires.
The storm will have the most significant impact in: Pasadena, Burbank, San Fernando, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Simi Valley, Sylmar, Porter Ranch, Altadena, La Crescenta, Malibu, Santa Gabriel / Santa Susana / Santa Monica Mountains and foothills, and the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys.
The National Weather Service has also broadened a wind advisory to cover the North Bay Interior Valleys and Coast, San Francisco, the San Francisco Bayshore, and the East Bay Interior Valleys in the Bay Area.
“This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation – in essence, this is as severe as it gets regarding fire weather,” the weather service in Los Angeles stated.
-Saman Shafiq and Gabe Hauari
Contributing: John Bacon and Minnah Arshad
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