Status: 12/23/2022 16:22
A cold front with temperatures down to minus 45 degrees Celsius covered much of the United States. Many households are without electricity, flights and trains are canceled – just before Christmas. And the situation is likely to get worse, warn the meteorological services.
The US Weather Service had warned in advance of “record-breaking cold and life-threatening gusts of wind”. An Arctic cold front with temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius has swept across much of the United States. The US Weather Service reported that more than 200 million Americans were affected by severe weather warnings the day before Christmas. “Coast to coast” there were dangers from drastic drops in temperature, freezing winds, and massive snowfall.
Large parts of the United States affected by severe cold snaps
Marion Schmickler, ARD Washington, , Daily News at 5:00 p.m., December 23, 2022
Biden: “This is really serious”
The north and mid-west of the country are particularly affected, but so is the southern United States. An extreme freeze warning has been issued for the states of Louisiana, parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. According to meteorologists, temperatures in Denver, Colorado dropped about 40 degrees in 24 hours as the arctic cold front passed.
Several US states have declared states of emergency, including New York. “Life-threatening” temperatures with strong winds are expected in some parts of the country. The state of emergency also applies in the metropolis of Buffalo. Here, meteorological experts predict heavy snowfalls with wind speeds of up to 112 km/h
The US media, quoting meteorological experts, warned of the possible emergence of a special and violent storm, a so-called bomb cyclone. Values of around minus 45 degrees Celsius have already been measured in the states of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming. Snowdrifts more than three meters high have formed in South Dakota.
“This isn’t like a childish snow day, it’s really serious,” President Joe Biden warned. A storm “like that that happens only once in a generation” was predicted for the state of New York.
What is a “bomb cyclone”?
In the event of a “bomb cyclone” such as 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.
Thousands of canceled flights
The snowstorms have already paralyzed much traffic in the affected states. According to the FlightAware website, more than 3,400 flights across the country were canceled on Friday and more than 700 were delayed. As early as Thursday, some 10,000 flights were delayed in the United States and 2,600 connections were cancelled.
And people don’t make progress on the field either. Many roads were already closed on Thursday, especially in the north of the country. Numerous train and bus connections have been canceled and the authorities warn against travel by car. The Weather Service has warned that those stranded on roads due to snow and ice could face the freezing winds as a death trap.
According to media reports, at least five people have died in apparently weather-related traffic accidents in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Huge power outages
Snowstorms have already caused extensive power outages in several regions. According to the PowerOutage.us website, more than a million people across the country have been cut off from the supply. In Texas alone, more than 80,000 families were affected.
Freeze threatens in minutes
Meteorologists have warned that people should not leave their homes. Anyone who gets out risks freezing within minutes. For longer stays there is also the risk of death.
The region around the Great Lakes in the northern United States was particularly affected by the cold. At the Chicago airport, one of the most important in the United States, snow blowers were in constant use, as can be seen in a video from the Weather Channel. And even in the city the winter services had their hands full. According to media reports, nearly 300 salt spreaders were used to keep the roads clear of ice.
In South Dakota, rescuers were sometimes unable to cope with the snow masses. Some of the people stuck in their homes could hardly be reached. Even some of the clearing services had to capitulate because the hydraulic fluid in the equipment froze.
Danger of death for the homeless
The danger to life exists especially for people who do not have a home. Everywhere helpers are trying to save the homeless from the cold. For example, a church mission in Augusta, Georgia, is preparing for an assault, according to the New York Times. “On a normal night it might not be a matter of life and death,” said the head of mission, “but now it is.” According to media reports, at least five homeless people froze to death in Salt Lake City, Utah earlier this week. And even in Miami, where it’s usually warm, Homeless Relief has put its cold weather emergency plan into action.
People stock up on groceries
Further east, in the state of Indiana, the governor has mobilized the National Guard to protect people from the expected snowstorms. 150 National Guardsmen are deployed primarily in northern Indiana. Weather Channel videos showed people in supermarkets stocking up on groceries for the next few days.
Storm surge is expected on the eastern shore of Lake Erie near Niagara Falls, according to the National Weather Service. The water level could rise several meters. According to media reports, residents near the water in the city of Hamburg in upstate New York have been asked to leave their homes.
Dramatic warnings. Winter storm in the USA
Katrin Brand, ARD Washington, 2022-12-23 17:11
