A historic winter storm blankets the US from Texas to New England, causing over a million power outages, thousands of flight cancellations, and multiple fatalities
WASHINGTON: A life-threatening winter storm brought hazardous conditions to a wide swath of the United States on Sunday, from Texas to New England.
Officials urged residents to stay off roads as the storm dumped snow, sleet, and freezing rain, causing mass flight cancellations and widespread power outages.
The National Weather Service warned that an Arctic air mass would prolong disruptions, with icy surfaces remaining dangerous well into the following week.
The first storm-related fatalities were reported, with two people in Louisiana confirmed dead from hypothermia.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outside over the weekend in freezing temperatures.
The PowerOutage.com tracking site showed over one million customers without electricity as of Sunday afternoon, mostly in the US South.
In Tennessee, more than 300,000 customers were without power after ice downed power lines.
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia each reported over 100,000 outages, with the South facing treacherous cold that could set records.
Authorities from Texas to North Carolina and New York urged residents to stay home due to the perilous conditions.
The storm moved into the northeast on Sunday, dumping snow and sleet on heavily populated cities including Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.
At least 20 states and the US capital Washington have declared states of emergency.
Residents in Washington awoke to several inches of snow, followed by heavy sleet, leading to preemptive federal office closures for Monday.
Several major airports in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York had nearly all flights canceled for the day.
Flightaware.com showed more than 11,000 Sunday flights canceled in the United States, adding to over 4,000 the day before.
Nearly 2,500 Monday flights have already been scrapped.
President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that officials would monitor the storm and stay in touch with all affected states.
The brutal storm system is the result of a stretched polar vortex sending cold air spilling across North America.
Scientists debate links to climate change, though natural variability also plays a role.
Trump, who scoffs at climate change science, questioned how the cold front fit into broader climatic shifts.
The NWS warned heavy ice could cause long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and impassable travel conditions.
Authorities warned of life-threatening cold that could last a week, especially in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
Wind chill lows were forecast to dip under -50F (-45C), where frostbite can occur within minutes. – AFP
