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‘Heaviest snowfall in over a decade’: Winter storm affecting millions
A significant winter storm is delivering frigid temperatures, rain, and snow to over 60 million Americans.
WASHINGTON – A severe winter storm that covered Midwestern areas in several feet of snow over the weekend began to hit the Mid-Atlantic region on Monday, resulting in perilous travel conditions and extensive school closures while federal offices were shut down and flight cancellations increased at airports.
Millions were under winter storm alerts, and hundreds of thousands were experiencing power outages as the storm stretched from southern Illinois to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Extremely heavy snowfall was anticipated “at the pace of 1-2 inches per hour, coinciding with the first full morning commute post-holidays,” warned AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
The nation’s capital − where Congress is scheduled to formally certify Donald Trump’s election as president − and Baltimore are projected to receive approximately 6 to 12 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Federal offices in Washington remained closed on Monday, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
The weather service cautioned that the snow in the city isn’t expected to melt quickly. A probable “lull” in snowfall from late morning to early afternoon would be succeeded by “another wave of snow throughout the evening. Cold temperatures and brisk winds will persist for the week.”
Updates:
∎ In Kansas, the weather service reported 17 inches of snow in Shawnee, while several counties experienced between 10 – 14 inches of snow.
∎ The Cleveland, Ohio weather service observed as much as 15 inches of snow on the ground in Cherry Valley in Ashtabula County.
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∎ In Sussex County, New Jersey, the weather service reported widespread measurements of 4-6 inches of snow and 4 inches in coastal Cape May County.
Governors in various states, such as Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia, declared states of emergency over the weekend as the storm advanced eastward. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for seven counties, while Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced a state of disaster.
“When the snowfall is that intense, even with the best efforts of road maintenance crews, it becomes challenging to manage the accumulation and keep the roads clear of snow,” Porter explained. “We’ve encountered analogous situations in the past that have surprised individuals unprepared for the repercussions, resulting in ‘highway chaos’ including multi-vehicle collisions and traffic congestion, which have left major interstates closed for hours.”
In the Adams Morgan area of Washington, located north of downtown and the White House, residents came out early armed with shovels and sleds.
Grace Lowe, 30, walked her dog Luna and paused several times to capture images of the black Labrador, her tail wagging as she frolicked in the fresh snow.
“I anticipated a lot of snow today, but this is indeed substantial already,” stated Lowe, who has resided in the capital for five years. “This is a considerable storm!”
Snowfall reached as far south as Virginia and Kentucky, and as far north as central Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are likely to receive several inches. A light dusting of snow may even occur in New York City, with greater amounts in the southern and western suburbs.
Snow-covered roads were responsible for extensive traffic stoppages and disturbances across multiple states from the central U.S. to the Mid-Atlantic area. The closures affected major roads in cities such as Washington and Baltimore as well as heavily-trafficked highways, including I-29 in Missouri and I-65 in Indiana.
Forecasters advised motorists from Missouri to Washington to refrain from driving due to snow and ice conditions.
According to a USA TODAY outage tracker, over 350,000 residences and establishments experienced power outages in Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. Kentucky alone reported over 85,000 outages. Kentucky Power stated in a social media message that they were observing and evaluating the effects of the storm.
“Our teams are diligently working to switch customers to alternative power supplies wherever possible,” the message indicated. “Numerous line technicians, evaluators, and safety personnel are prepared to take on the restoration tasks ahead. We WILL restore power to everyone as swiftly as we can!”
In Virginia, more than 110,000 residences and businesses were without light. Dominion Energy spokesperson Aaron Ruby mentioned that the company has “mobilized hundreds of crews and bucket trucks throughout Western, Central, Southside, and Northern Virginia, and we are ready to deploy additional teams as necessary.”
In Kentucky, multiple accidents caused traffic congestion on the city’s highways, and hundreds of requests for help were made to Louisville Emergency Services. State Police stated that Trooper Landon Key “is doing well” following a vehicle that rear-ended his cruiser Sunday while he was managing a collision on Interstate 65 in Hart County, located 70 miles south of Louisville.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport recorded over 7 inches of snowfall as the system passed through on Sunday, setting a new one-day record for that date. The National Weather Service in Louisville forecasted an additional 1-3 inches of snow could occur Monday morning. Governor Andy Beshear mentioned that crews were working to clear roads for utility teams and urged residents to “please remain safe at home.”
Experts in meteorology stated that the system is anticipated to diminish by Monday afternoon, but extremely low temperatures are likely to persist until the weekend.
− Marina Johnson, Leo Bertucci, and Keisha Rowe, Louisville Courier Journal
By 9 a.m., over 3,000 U.S. flights had experienced delays or cancellations, as per the FlightAware tracker. In Washington D.C., Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reported more than 410 cancellations. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport had over 200 cancellations.
Early Monday, a temporary ground halt was enacted at Chicago O’Hare International Airport prior to departures resuming, though they were delayed by an average of 48 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Amtrak canceled more than 50 trains on Monday, indicating that the “changes have been made without any alternative transportation offered.”
Countless schools from Illinois to Washington, D.C., were compelled to close on Monday, postponing for many the first school day after the winter holiday. In Washington, public schools shut down on Monday as snow began accumulating, and temperatures fell below freezing. School closures also delayed students’ return to their classes in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Cincinnati Public Schools are closed on Monday as snowfall is predicted to continue at the start of the school week. In Springfield, Missouri, the school district canceled school on Monday due to adverse weather and icy road conditions. In Kentucky, some schools in the Louisville area had canceled classes as the storm approached, bringing a combination of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and dangerous road conditions.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen
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