A long weekend of ferocious winter weather is sweeping across the United States, with Arctic storms threatening to break low-temperature records in the heartland. This wave of extreme cold is set to spread snow and freezing temperatures from coast to coast, impacting various aspects of daily life, from football playoffs to presidential campaigns.
As the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend commenced, the nation faced a patchwork of weather advisories. Oregon braced for an ice storm warning, while blizzard warnings were issued in the northern Plains and high wind warnings in New Mexico. The mid-Atlantic region also faced flood warnings amidst this onslaught of winter weather.
The impacts of the storm were felt immediately, with a 100-vehicle stall occurring on Iowa’s Interstate 80. Jackknifed semitrailers caused a chaotic traffic jam, leaving cars stranded for hours amidst blowing snow. Road crews struggled to keep up with the snowfall and relentless high winds that caused drifts to quickly obstruct cleared roadways. Since Friday, the Iowa State Patrol has already responded to 86 crashes and assisted 535 motorists.
Tragically, the storm claimed a life in Portland, Oregon, as the medical examiner’s office investigated a death due to hypothermia. The city, known for its mild winter rains, was hit by freezing rain and heavy snow, forcing hundreds of people to seek shelter in warming centers. Meanwhile, high winds knocked down large trees, leaving tens of thousands of residents without power.
The frigid temperatures were felt particularly strongly in Montana, where parts of the state experienced temperatures below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius) on Saturday morning. The National Weather Service warned that similar extreme temperatures could persist as far south as northern Kansas, with the Dakotas potentially dropping to a bone-chilling minus 50 F (minus 46 C).
Several governors, including those of New York and Louisiana, issued warnings to residents to be prepared for the dangerous conditions. The storm has already resulted in weather-related deaths, including avalanches in California and Idaho, as well as cold exposure in Chicago suburbs in Illinois. In Wisconsin, a man tragically died while snow-blowing his driveway.
Numerous households and businesses in Michigan and Wisconsin were without power, according to poweroutage.us. In Illinois, the situation grew dire as city-run shelters in Chicago reached capacity, leading to parked warming buses temporarily housing new arrivals. However, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined pleas to stop sending migrants to Chicago, instead urging Texans to prepare for icy conditions.
In St. Louis, the National Weather Service warned of rare and life-threatening cold. The air temperature is projected to dip as low as minus 14 F (minus 26 C) on Monday, coinciding with the start of the U.S. presidential primary season, specifically the Iowa caucuses. The bitter cold is expected to persist, with below-zero wind chills predicted until Wednesday.
The winter storm’s impact has reverberated through the realm of politics, as Republican contenders Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and former President Donald Trump all canceled campaign events in Iowa due to the inclement weather.
South Dakota faced especially harsh conditions, with a temperature of minus 17 F (minus 27 C) and wind speeds of 30 mph (48 kph) making it feel like minus 48 F (minus 44 C) at the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation. Tribal leaders were compelled to open a gym as a temporary shelter due to a lack of capacity in existing homeless shelters.
The weather also disrupted sporting events, with frigid temperatures in Kansas City impacting the NFL playoff game between the Chiefs and Miami. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills’ matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers was rescheduled from Sunday to Monday due to dangerous weather conditions.
Coastal areas in southern Maine and New Hampshire experienced significant rainfall, causing flooding on several roads. Portland, Maine, braced itself for potential flooding as well.
As the nation grapples with this relentless storm, residents and authorities alike are taking precautions. It is a time of heightened vigilance, ensuring safety and mitigating the hazards presented by this record-breaking Arctic blast.
