Status: 12/24/2022 1:34 PM
Massive snow and extreme temperatures continue to ravage the United States. 17 people have died so far, most of them on icy roads. Rescue services are reaching their limits.
Winter storm ‘Elliot’ swept across the United States with heavy snow, freezing winds and extreme sub-zero temperatures. During the day, it should hit the east of the country above all. According to the NBC broadcaster, 17 people have already died as a result of the weather conditions, most of them in road accidents.
The storm had already paralyzed most traffic on Friday. Numerous roads had to be closed. The US Weather Service has also warned that travel in these conditions is “extremely dangerous and sometimes impossible” for the Christmas weekend. Sometimes there were so-called whiteout conditions with severely limited visibility and difficult orientation due to heavy snowfall.
The extreme weather conditions have in some cases also blocked air and rail traffic. More than 5,000 connections had to be canceled on Friday and nearly 9,000 flights were delayed to their destinations, according to the FlightAware website.
“Elliot” becomes part “Bomb Cyclone”.
The effects of the winter storm are affecting 48 US states and about 60 percent of the country’s entire population. It’s especially bad on the Great Lakes. There the storm developed into a so-called bomb cyclone, a meteorological phenomenon in which the air pressure drops dramatically within 24 hours and thus increases the strength of the storm. Cities like Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago are buried under a thick blanket of snow. In Buffalo, New York, snowfalls of up to 1.20 meters are expected.
Temperatures of about minus 45 degrees Celsius were measured on Friday in several states such as Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. Even on Saturday morning, the value in Montana was still minus 40 degrees Celsius at times.
What is a “bomb cyclone”?
In the event of a “bomb cyclone” like the one currently threatening parts of the United States, forecasters speak of “bombogenesis” or rapid cyclogenesis.
In this phenomenon, cold arctic air from the north meets warmer air from the south. Extreme temperature differences lead to a strong and rapid development of low pressure.
By definition, for rapid cyclogenesis, mid-latitude atmospheric pressure must decrease by 24 hectopascals (hPa) every 24 hours. For comparison: During a storm, atmospheric pressure drops about ten hectopascals in about 24 hours.
In a “bomb cyclone”, temperatures can even drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius. According to NASA, it’s almost the temperature on Mars.
A “historical event”
The Weather Service called Elliot a “historic event”: not only for record temperatures down to minus 48 degrees Celsius, but also for the size of the Arctic cold front, which runs from the Canadian border north to the border with Mexico to the south.
Over the weekend, the winter storm is expected to hit the east coast of the United States in particular, resulting in many places having the coldest Christmas in years. Further west, in Denver, Colorado, for example, the worst is over. It should be up to plus 7 degrees hot today.
“Pack Hot, Stay Inside”
Such extreme weather conditions could be dangerous to people’s lives, the US Weather Service has warned. After just a few minutes outdoors, there may be a risk of frostbite and even death if you stay longer.
A state of emergency has been declared in several states, including New York. Governor Kathy Hochul urged people to stay home: “Pack your bags warm, stay inside and take care of yourself this weekend.” Hochul spoke of a “life-threatening event”. The icy roads would not disappear anytime soon, the freezing winds would continue. The governor warned:
We have ice, floods, snow, freezing temperatures, and whatever Mother Nature could throw at us this weekend.
President Joe Biden had previously warned of a “really serious” risk situation. This weather has nothing in common with a “snowy day from childhood.”
At times nearly 1.5 million households without electricity
In Erie County, Marc Poloncarz, the district’s emergency services manager, warned of emergency services overload. On Twitter, he asked to call 911 only in the “most critical and life-threatening cases”. He also stressed that people should stay in their homes even if the heating and electricity fail. Transportation to emergency shelters is currently nearly impossible.
According to US authorities, nearly 1.5 million households across the country were temporarily cut off from electricity due to the effects of the storm. The so-called New England states were particularly affected by the bankruptcies ARD correspondent Katrin Brand reported. The New England region includes the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In Maine alone, meanwhile, some 250,000 people were reportedly left without electricity.
If the heating also fails, this can be life-threatening in double-digit sub-zero temperatures. The homeless are particularly hard hit. Most cities have set up warming centers and shelters.
Extreme Winter Keeps US in Check – An Update
Katrin Brand, ARD Washington, 12/24/2022 1:19 PM
