The United States will be hit by a cold wave during the Christmas season. The US Weather Service (NWS) calls it a “historic” winter storm. “Coast to coast” there were dangers from drastic drops in temperature, freezing winds, and massive snowfall. In Denver, Colorado, temperatures dropped about 40 degrees in 24 hours as the Arctic cold front passed.
More than 200 million people in 37 US states received severe weather warnings. At least eight people died on snowy and icy roads. Given the freezing temperatures, road conditions in many places are still very bad, writes the newspaper “USA Today”. According to the PowerOutage website, 1.2 million homes in the United States, mostly on the East Coast, were without electricity on Friday.
A generational storm
“I ask everyone not to go out on the street tonight. Wrap up warm, stay indoors and take care of yourselves this weekend,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents. The NWS in New York State warned of a “once in a generation storm” with wind chill gusts of more than 65 miles per hour.
In Minnesota, the NWS spoke of a “life-threatening phenomenon” that should be taken seriously. US President Joe Biden found drastic words: “It’s not just a snowy day, like from childhood. It’s serious!”
Cold discs will fall out
The cold front is moving east from the Midwest. The US media are expecting a so-called “bomb cyclone”, a special and violent storm. Values of around minus 45 degrees Celsius have already been measured in the states of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Winter has suddenly arrived in the southern state of Alabama
Forecasters predict blizzards (heavy snowstorms) over the Great Lakes to the north, black ice on the east coast, and bitter cold all the way to the Mexican border. Cold records may be set in some cities like Philadelphia or Sioux City, according to the National Weather Service.
Biting frost even in the otherwise warm southern United States
An extreme freeze warning has been issued for the states of Louisiana, parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. In parts of Louisiana, which typically has a more subtropical climate, temperatures down to minus 15 degrees with strong winds are expected. In Texas you get ready down to minus 26 degrees. And in the northern United States, waves up to six meters high are expected on each of the Great Lakes.
The states of Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky declared states of emergency on Wednesday. “We are expecting a climate like we haven’t seen in a decade or more,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Temperatures of minus twelve degrees Celsius were expected for the state on the south Atlantic coast of the United States.
Holiday travel chaos
The Arctic cold front has also messed with many travelers’ Christmas plans. Chaotic scenes are taking place in the airports. Nearly 6,000 flights were canceled on Friday and more than 1,500 on Saturday morning, particularly passengers from the north, around the Great Lakes, had to cancel trips, according to flight data website FlightAware. The airports of Chicago and Detroit are among the most important hubs in the country.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport scoreboard showing cancellations and delays
There is no progress on land either. Numerous rail and bus connections are being canceled and authorities are warning against driving by car. The Weather Service warns that anyone stranded on the roads due to snow and ice could be in danger of dying from the freezing winds.
Weather experts warn of ‘bomb cyclone’
The US media, quoting meteorological experts, warned of the possible emergence of a special and violent storm, a so-called “bomb cyclone” – a meteorological phenomenon in which the air pressure drops extremely quickly and increases the strength of the storm.
It’s a matter of life and death for the homeless
It’s especially tough for those who don’t have a roof over their heads. Across the country, rescuers are trying to save the many homeless people from the cold. A church mission leader in Augusta, Georgia said, “It may not be a matter of life and death on a normal night. But it is now.”
The drop in temperature is life threatening for the homeless
But just as quickly as the phantom cold has hit the United States, it could also end again. In some areas in the country’s northwest, temperatures will soon rise again once the cold air core has passed, forecasters predict. In many places it should be 20-30 degrees warmer by the weekend.
rb/sti/nob/gray (AFP, AP, dpa Reuters)
