Thread: Thousands of flights cancelled as winter storm and cold sweeps the US

A powerful Arctic winter storm is making its way through the US and parts of Canada, bringing with it frigid temperatures and flight delays ahead of the busiest travel days of the year.


More than 100 million people across the US are under winter weather alerts, and snowy conditions are expected to wreak travel chaos this weekend.


Major airports have already cancelled flights in anticipation of the storm.


The cold snap could bring the coldest Christmas in decades, say forecasters.


The National Weather Service (NWS) said bone-chilling temperatures of -50F (-45C) and -70F were possible by the end of this week in some parts of the country.


Meteorologists say the winter storm could become a "bomb cyclone" - an unofficial term for a certain type of powerful, rapidly strengthening storm - by Friday.

The Arctic air mass is projected to travel as low as the US-Mexico border, where strong wind gusts will dip the temperature to 15F (-9.4C) in El Paso, Texas.


Even Florida, the Sunshine State, is projected to see its coldest Christmas in 30 years.


The NWS has called it a "once-in-a-generation" winter weather event, especially as the storm reaches the Great Lakes region, where its pressure is expected to reach the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.


The storm is also bringing with it snowfall and powerful winds, which are expected to cause damage and power outages in the Midwest and Canada.


Where has the storm and severe cold hit?


Frigid temperatures are already being felt by millions as the storm and bitter cold moves eastward. The NWS warned more than 100 daily cold temperature records could be tied or broken over the next few days.


Temperatures have plunged in several US states, including Texas, Kansas and Missouri


In Colorado, temperatures dipped to a record-breaking low of -9F from 42F on Thursday. Meanwhile, temperatures in Wyoming have dropped as low as -35F


Nearly a dozen record low temperatures were also set in Montana


Ground blizzard conditions - meaning extreme cold with strong winds - have hit both North Dakota and South Dakota


In Chicago, a winter storm warning is in effect from noon on Thursday through late Saturday morning, bringing with it several inches of snow and winds topping 50mph (80km/h)


In Canada, much of Ontario and parts of Quebec are also bracing for a major winter storm on Thursday that is expected to last through the Christmas weekend, bringing with it "strong and potentially damaging winds," Canada's National Weather Service said


Winter storm has disrupted travel


The storm has come during the busiest travel days of the year. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects holiday travel volume to be close to pre-pandemic levels, with the busiest day on Thursday.


More than 5,300 flights in the US have already been cancelled on Thursday and Friday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.


This includes cancellations out of Chicago's airport - one of the busiest in the country.


In anticipation of travel disruptions, major airlines including United, Delta and American have offered to waive fees for travellers who wish to reschedule their flights.


Snowy conditions and freezing roadways are also expected to wreak havoc on road travel this weekend.


Roads along the Colorado-Wyoming border were closed on Wednesday due to nearly zero visibility.


In South Dakota, more than 100 cars were stranded on snow-covered roads on Wednesday, prompting emergency rescue operations. The airport in the state's capital city has also closed.


The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimated that more than 112 million people will travel 50 miles (80 km) or more from home between Friday and January 2, the vast majority -102 million - by car.


"We had a great Thanksgiving week with minimal disruption," US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told cable channel MSNBC on Wednesday.


"Unfortunately, it's not going to be that way going into Christmas.

States of emergency declared


The governors of Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma have declared states of emergency. The city of Buffalo, New York has declared an emergency as well, and will be closing its schools on Friday.


Other states, like Maryland, have activated emergency response operations ahead of the storm, while others have opened warming shelters.


In Colorado, the Denver Coliseum, an indoor arena, has been converted into a warming centre.


On Thursday, US President Joe Biden said his administration has contacted the governors of 26 affected states and that the federal government is prepared to offer help where needed.


He also encouraged people to avoid travelling as the conditions worsen. "Please take this storm extremely seriously," Mr Biden said.


What is a bomb cyclone?


The term "bomb cyclone" has been used to describe this storm as it develops over the Great Lakes region. But what exactly is that?


Bomb cyclone is a term given to a storm that intensifies rapidly, with its central air pressure dropping by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.


They are referred to as bomb cyclones due to the explosive power caused by the rapid fall in pressure.


Such storms bring weather ranging from blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation.


Bomb cyclones are most common on the east coast of the US and Canada, where the cool land and warm Gulf Stream current provide optimal conditions.

Thousands of flights cancelled as winter storm and cold sweeps the US

God I don't miss those days

One killed in 50-car pileup crash on Ohio Turnpike

SANDUSKY COUNTY, Ohio (WTVG) - At least one person is dead and numerous others are injured after a 50-vehicle crash along the Ohio Turnpike, Ohio State Highway Patrol tells 13abc.


The multi-vehicle crash along the turnpike happened in Sandusky County early Friday afternoon.


Troopers said there were multiple crashes emergency officials responded to on the Ohio Turnpike eastbound lanes between state route 53 and route 4 in Erie County. The road is closed in both directions and eastbound traffic is being diverted off at exit 91 and westbound traffic is being rerouted to exit 118.


Buses are taking people stranded on the turnpike to the Castalia Maintenance Building, according to the PIO for the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. Video obtained by 13abc shows first responders helping people out of their vehicles.

A spokesperson for OSHP tells 13abc the first of a number of crashes happened around 11:45 a.m. near state route 2. Two people were injured with non-life-threatening injuries in a five car crash, troopers said. The massive pileup happened shortly thereafter when multiple cars crashed around 12:30pm.


“This is going to be ongoing for awhile,” an OSHP spokesperson told 13abc. “There are a lot of troopers and first responders out there working through this.”


Toledo Fire and Rescue officials say crews requested their assistance with extrication resources.


Troopers say visibility is a problem on the turnpike with the winds blowing. The crash comes during frigid temps and strong winds, with Sandusky County under a level 3 snow emergency as of late Friday afternoon.

https://www.13abc.com/2022/12/23/osh...king-closures/

Prolonged winter storm causes at least 26 deaths and leaves thousands without power

The prolonged winter storm that brought heavy snow, high winds and brutal cold to most of the US this past week has killed at least 26 people and left hundreds of thousands without power.

Perhaps the worst impact was around Buffalo, New York, where 43 inches of snow fell as of Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The snowfall and blizzard conditions made roads impassable, froze power substations and left at least seven people dead, Erie County officials said.


The conditions eased slightly on Sunday, allowing emergency responders to get out and see the extent of the problem.


“I don’t want to say that this is going to be it because that would be a fallacy for me to say that, because we know that there are people who have been stuck in cars for more than two days,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Sunday. “There are people in homes who are below freezing temperatures.”


New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it the “most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long storied history” due to its power and its extended length.


“It’s a crisis of epic proportion,” Hochul told CNN’s Paula Reid on Sunday.


Over the past week, this winter storm brought dangerously cold temperatures, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding to almost the entirety of the US, wrecking Christmas plans along the way.


More than 55 million people remain under wind chill alerts Sunday morning, and freeze warnings are in effect across the South.


The blizzard conditions persisted Sunday across the Great Lakes, while frigid cold temperatures gripped the eastern two-thirds of the country.


Some major cities in the Southeast, Midwest and East Coast recorded their coldest Christmas in decades. In Florida, it will be the coldest December 25 since 1983 for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and West Palm Beach. New York City also saw record cold temperatures on Christmas Eve at several locations, including its JFK and LaGuardia airports. The high at Central Park was 15 degrees, marking it the second-coldest December 24 in at least 150 years, according to the National Weather Service.


Temperatures are forecast to rebound later in the week with a much-welcomed warming trend with above-normal temperatures.


About 250,000 homes and businesses in the US had no electricity service as of about 11 a.m. ET, with nearly half of those affected in Maine and New York, according to PowerOutage.us. Since the start of the storm the number of outages has at times exceeded a million customers.


Power grid struggling with cold


A power grid operator for at least 13 states in the country’s eastern half asked customers to conserve power and set thermostats lower than usual from early Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday because usage was straining capacity.


The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves about 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The operator warned rolling blackouts could happen if the strain becomes too much.


In New York, utility companies Con Edison and Natural Grid US also urged customers to conserve energy, citing extreme weather conditions and increased energy demand on interstate pipelines carrying natural gas into the city.


Meanwhile, a shortage of electricity in Texas prompted the US Department of Energy to declare an emergency Friday, allowing the state’s energy provider to exceed environmental emissions standards until energy usage drops.


In Jackson, Mississippi, frigid temperatures are hampering efforts to repair a large water main break late Saturday, which has caused a loss in water pressure for residents, city officials said.


“We are grateful to the crews who are braving these frigid temperatures on this Christmas Eve night, while working to restore pressure to residents. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and is appreciated not only by this administration, but also by every resident who is affected,” the release stated.


The brutal weather conditions have also snarled travel during the busy holiday weekend, with more than 5,000 flights canceled Friday, more than 3,400 flights canceled Saturday, and more than 1,350 canceled for Christmas Day.

Seven storm-related deaths were reported in New York’s Erie County – which experienced blistering blizzard conditions and where Poloncarz, the county executive, said about 500 motorists found themselves stranded in their vehicles Friday night into Saturday morning, despite a county driving ban put in place during the storm.


National Guard troops had been called in to help “rescue people that are stuck in vehicles,” he said.


Poloncarz announced four of those deaths Sunday morning during a news conference.


“I do know that some were found in cars and some were found actually on the street in snow banks,” Poloncarz said.


Two died in separate incidents Friday night when emergency medical personnel could not get to their homes in time for medical emergencies, Poloncarz said Saturday morning. Details about the third death, confirmed by a county spokesperson Saturday afternoon, weren’t immediately available.


“The loss of two lives in Buffalo – storm related – because people were not able to get to medical attention, is again a crisis situation that unfolds before your eyes and you realize that lifesaving ambulances and emergency medical personnel cannot get to people during a blizzard situation,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday.


Hochul said she will ask the federal government “for a declaration of emergency that’ll allow us to seek reimbursements for the extraordinary expenses of all the overtime and the fact that we brought in mutual aid from other parts of the state.”


Other storm-related deaths have been reported in the country. They include:


• Colorado: Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building possibly looking for warmth, and another in a camp in an alleyway.


• Kansas: Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Kansas Highway Patrol said Friday.


• Kentucky: Three people have died in the state, officials have said, including one involving a vehicle crash in Montgomery County.


• Missouri: One person died after a caravan slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said.


• Ohio: Eight people have died as a result of weather-related auto crashes, including four in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 75, when a semi tractor-trailer crossed the median and collided with an SUV and a pickup, authorities said.


• Tennessee: The Tennessee Department of Health on Friday confirmed one storm-related fatality.


• Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Patrol on Thursday reported one fatal crash due to winter weather.


What to expect as the storm slowly weakens and hazardous conditions continue


Strong winds behind the arctic cold front that pushed through this week will lead to lake-effect snow and blizzard conditions at times across portions of the Great Lakes on Sunday.


Blizzard warnings, winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories blanket much of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley.


An additional 8 to 16 inches of lake-effect snow is possible.


The storm system is forecast to gradually weaken as it lifts into southeastern Canada, moving slowly during the next couple of days and pulling arctic air from Canada down into much of the eastern side of the country.


The Arctic blast will slowly moderate into Monday.


The cold temperatures combined with dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers who become stranded, people who work outside, livestock and pets, according to the National Weather Service.


“In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes,” the Weather Service warned.


As the frigid air continues to blast the warm waters of the Great Lakes, lake-effect snows and blizzard conditions are expected to continue, but slowly become less intense.


Still, strong gusty winds initially up to 60 mph accompanying the snow downwind from the Great Lakes will continue to make for extremely dangerous conditions on the road.


By Christmas night into Monday, another low pressure system coming from the Pacific will deliver the next surge of moisture toward the Pacific Northwest and then into northern California, according to the Weather Service.

Prolonged winter storm causes at least 26 deaths and leaves thousands without power

Just found out that my crazy daughter (26 years old) and her friend , also a girl, are driving from Florida to NY .
I am very worried.

The weather along the East coast isn’t so bad. Just hope they drive at night when the roads freeze up.

U.S. Death Toll Hits 37 in ‘Horrendous’ Winter Storm

Last weekend's winter storm killed at least 37 people nationwide, with 25 found dead in New York's Erie County alone, according to officials.


In an interview with CNN, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz blamed the unusually high number of deaths on difficult conditions that made it hard to rescue people trapped in the snow. While the western New York county, which includes Buffalo, is familiar with winter storms, the weekend’s storm included snow that created “blinding views” that Poloncarz called “horrenodus’ and “the worst conditions that any of us have ever seen.” After the storm, rescuers found people dead in their cars or on the street.


New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) echoed Poloncarz’s description in an interview with CNN, calling it the “most devastating storm” Buffalo has ever experienced. Erie County remains under a driving ban through Monday, and National Guard soldiers have deployed to the city.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/us-dea...storm?ref=home

US digs out from monster storm as death toll passes 50

The monster storm that killed dozens in the United States over the Christmas weekend continued to inflict misery on New York state and air travelers nationwide Tuesday, as stories emerged of families trapped for days during the “blizzard of the century.”


The number of deaths attributed to the winter storm rose to more than 50 after officials confirmed three more fatalities in western New York’s Erie County, the epicenter of the crisis.


The police department “expects that number to rise,” tweeted Byron Brown, mayor of the lakeside county’s biggest city Buffalo — which has been paralyzed for five days by chest-deep snow banks and power outages.


Kathy Hochul, New York state’s governor and a Buffalo native, described the storm aftermath as resembling “a war zone.”


“Certainly it is the blizzard of the century,” Hochul told reporters Monday.


As temperatures plummeted, commuters and some residents fleeing their freezing homes became trapped on highways, unable to be rescued.


The problem was compounded when some areas were rendered inaccessible to ambulances for dozens of hours and snowplows were unable to perform their job due to the ferocity of the storm — necessitating rescuers being rescued in certain cases.


The family of one 22-year-old Buffalo resident, Anndel Taylor, said she died in her car after getting stuck on her way home from work.


A video sent by Taylor and posted by her sister shows her vehicle covered up to its windows in snow.


Emergency responders, who themselves became stuck attempting to rescue her, found her dead 18 hours later, possibly due to carbon monoxide poisoning, her family in North Carolina told local TV station WSOC-TV.


One father described being trapped in his vehicle on the streets of Buffalo with his four young children for 11 hours before being rescued, according to The New York Times.


Zila Santiago, 30, said he kept his engine running to provide some warmth and fed his children some juice found in his trunk.


They were finally rescued at dawn by a passing snowplow.


In a city well-accustomed to snowstorms, some residents were blaming a travel ban they said was enacted too late on Friday morning as contributing to the mayhem.


Buffalo resident Mark Eguliar remained at his workplace, where he was stuck for more than 40 hours.


“Too many people were driving, too many people were not listening to the ban, so the cars were blocking all the roads, making it a lot harder to get home,” he said.


– ‘Worst Christmas’ –


The perfect storm of fierce snow squalls, howling wind and sub-zero temperatures forced the cancellation of almost 20,000 US flights in recent days, including some 3,200 on Tuesday, according to tracking site Flightaware.com.


Most of the cancellations on Tuesday were at Southwest Airlines, which pulled more than 60 percent of its flights due to cascading logistics issues, earning it a rebuke from the US government.


The Department of Transportation tweeted that it was “concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations” and would examine if the company was “complying with its customer service plan,” while the US Senate committee overseeing aviation said it would look into causes that “go beyond weather.”


US President Joe Biden on Monday approved an emergency declaration for New York state, freeing up funds to help it recover from the disaster.


Buffalo’s international airport remains closed until Wednesday morning and a driving ban remained in effect for the city.


“You can absolutely go out and walk to check on neighbors, go to open stores, etc. But do not drive,” tweeted the county executive, Mark Poloncarz.


Longtime Buffalo resident Bill Sherlock told AFP that his home had received about four feet of snow, but that he was lucky to have had functioning electricity and food.


Those less fortunate “probably had the worst Christmas of their lives,” said the 38-year-old attorney — mindful that some homes in his neighborhood have had no power since Friday.


Sherlock said he may wait another day before leaving home for the first time in nearly a week: “We’re not going anywhere unless we have to.”


Mayor Brown told CNN that multiple looting incidents were reported in the city over Christmas weekend and eight arrests had been made.


The National Weather Service forecast a respite of warmer temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) by the weekend, although officials warned that melting snow could result in minor flooding.


The extreme weather over the weekend sent temperatures to below freezing in all mainland US states, including in Texas along the Mexico border where some arriving migrants have struggled to find shelter.


At one point on Saturday, nearly 1.7 million customers were without electricity in the biting cold, according to tracker poweroutage.us.


Road ice and whiteout conditions also led to the temporary closure of some of the nation’s busiest transport routes, including part of the cross-country Interstate 70 highway.


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