Status: 12.25.2022 06:59
Arctic Storm Elliott continues to grip parts of the United States. At least 17 people have died so far. The National Weather Service warns of life-threatening ice storms and more snow by noon.
The city of Buffalo, located in western New York state on Lake Erie, is used to a lot of snow. But such an Arctic storm hasn’t been seen in decades, he reports from there. The National Weather Service warns of life-threatening ice storms and more snow through Sunday noon.
Hundreds of people were stranded in their cars on Saturday night, and rescue workers were also stranded. The Buffalo Bills, the city’s highly successful soccer team, had to spend the night in Chicago after their road win on Christmas Eve because their home airport is closed.
At least 17 dead
Elsewhere the situation is less dramatic, even if the cold front continues to dominate the weather in much of the country. The southern and southeastern United States, from Texas to Florida, continue to suffer from severe frosts. In the Northwest, on the Pacific, there is rain and black ice.
In the center of the country, up to the northeast, freezing winds can make life outdoors dangerous. At least 17 people have died, according to US media, most of them in traffic-related car crashes.
Electricity suppliers are demanding energy savings
As of Saturday morning, more than 1.5 million homes and businesses woke up without power in the eastern half of the United States. In the evening, supply was largely restored. Some electricity suppliers have invited their customers to save energy so as not to burden the grid further.
Air traffic is still disrupted. More than 3,000 flights were canceled on Saturday and nearly 8,000 were delayed. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expects the worst of the disruption to be over and operations to return to normal.
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.
State of emergency declared in several states
A state of emergency was declared in Tennessee and several other states, and the National Guard was mobilized to help, for example, stranded drivers. Jim Strickland, mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, said he can’t remember ever being this cold for so long: below zero degrees Fahrenheit, which means minus 17 degrees Celsius and colder. At the moment there are minus ten there.
Maximum temperatures expected in the next week
The snow is expected to continue across the Great Lakes. According to the National Weather Service, severe storms and freezing cold are expected to continue from the Midwest to the Northeast. In the wake of the cold front, temperatures have already risen again. By this time next week, on New Year’s Eve, temperatures may even be above average in many areas.
The cold front makes the USA tremble – An update from Sunday morning
Katrin Brand, ARD Washington, 2022-12-25 5:58 AM
