Funviralpark 23 Dec (Reuters) – More than two-thirds of the US population was hit by extreme weather warnings on Friday. Severe frost hits large parts of the country ahead of the holiday weekend, hampering travel plans, cutting power to homes and businesses and causing at least three deaths.
More than 240 million people had weather advisories on Friday as the frigid streak stretching from Texas to Montana began to move east, the National Weather Service said. Freeze warnings have been posted in some southern states of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
In Kentucky, two people died in a car accident and a homeless person died, Governor Andy Beshear said Friday.
“Stay home and stay safe,” he said on Twitter.
The paralyzing cold, intensified by high winds, extended to the U.S.-Mexico border, bringing temperatures in the single digits to the border city of El Paso, Texas.
Further north, parts of Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York are expected to experience heavy snow, with more than 35 inches in Buffalo, according to weather service meteorologist Ashton Robinson Cook.
The map showing current or imminent winter hazards “represents one of the largest winter weather warnings and advisories ever made,” the agency said.
Extreme weather disrupted family and vacation plans a few days before Christmas. About 1.5 million US homes and businesses lost power on Friday, according to tracking site Poweroutage.us. About 187,000 customers lost power in North Carolina alone, and high winds are hampering recovery efforts.
More than 114,000 customers in Maine, which makes up about one-tenth of North Carolina’s population, lost power Friday afternoon.
Heavy winds, ice and snow in one of the busiest times of the year also disrupted commercial air traffic.
[1/3] Drivers navigate a flooded road at high tide during a winter storm in Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA, December 23, 2022. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
More than 4,000 US flights were canceled on Friday, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. About 500 flights to and from Seattle’s main airport were canceled as another storm system brought ice and freezing rain to the Pacific Northwest.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimated that 112.7 million people planned to travel more than 50 miles (80 km) from their homes between Friday and January 2nd. weekend.
Buffalo area authorities in New York have issued a driving ban.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told MSNBC on Friday, “If there’s any good news, it’s that the storm has moved quickly in some areas. Many airports, such as Denver, have been hit by waves of delays and cancellations. It is expected to recover quickly from other hubs like Chicago, which could recover later on Friday, he said.
‘bundle’
Last-minute holiday gift purchases are unlikely to reach their destination by Christmas. FedEx (FDX.N) said Friday that customers expected disruptions at hubs in Tennessee and Indianapolis could cause delays to some parcel deliveries nationwide.
Weather forecasters said the Midwestern blizzard had formed a “bomb cyclone.” This is what happens when air pressure drops rapidly within 24 hours, increasing the intensity of a storm. From the northern Plains and Great Lakes region to the upper Mississippi Valley to western New York, a dizzying amount of snow is possible.
Along the east coast, rain and westerly winds will push water ashore, causing coastal flooding of up to 3 feet and potentially causing flash freezes and black ice, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The lowest temperature in the United States on Friday morning was recorded in Harbor, Montana, at minus 38 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 38 degrees Celsius). However, forecasters expect some easing in the next few days. Temperatures in Montana and the northern Rockies and High Plains could reach 40-60 degrees over the weekend.
For now, meteorologist Cook says, “If you can, stay indoors in bulk and see what your neighbors are doing.”
Reporting by Gabriella Borter, Steve Gorman, Rich McKay Susan Heavey, Laila Kearney, Scott DiSavino, Jonathan Oatis, Alexandra Michalska, Aurora Ellis
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