Massive winter storm brings frigid temps, icy weather and thousands of flight cancellations, snarling Christmas travel

Tens of millions of Americans endured spine-chilling temperatures, snowstorms, power outages, flash floods, and canceled vacation plans. winter storm According to forecasters, the extent is nearly unprecedented, with about 60% of the U.S. population exposed to some kind of winter weather forecast or warning in the days leading up to Christmas.

At least 19 storm-related deaths have been confirmed nationwide so far. Eight of them died in weather-related crashes in Ohio, he confirmed to CBS News on a state highway patrol on Friday night. multiple car pileup About 50 vehicles participated in the Ohio Turnpike.

Near power outages were reported in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan, while flash floods flooded communities in several northeastern states and brought power lines down in others. .

saturday morning, New York state police tweet Warning of dangerous conditions on the road.In another tweet, police said Looking for dozens of stranded drivers.

“Keep off the road! Search and rescue are being greatly delayed due to snowstorm. Roads were not ready last night due to zero visibility,” they tweeted.

More than 200 million people received winter weather advisories or warnings on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The Bureau of Meteorology map “shows him one of the most widespread winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” the forecaster said.

More than 5,800 flights inside and outside the US had been canceled by Friday night, according to tracking site FlightAware, causing even more mayhem as travelers try to get home on vacation.

Power Outage.us, a website that tracks utility reports, said the power outage had plunged more than a million homes and businesses into darkness as of Saturday morning. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest utility, ended rolling blackouts on Friday afternoon, but continued to urge homes and businesses to save electricity. In Georgia, hundreds of people in Atlanta and upstate were without power and faced the possibility of subzero wind chills with no heat.

In Buffalo, New York, the National Weather Service reports “zero miles” visibility, Posted Video demonstrating a whiteout condition. Local transportation officials said all flights at Buffalo Airport have been canceled through Friday night.

Thousands of people across Erie County experienced power outages. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced late Friday that 54 National Guard soldiers would be deployed in Erie County to “help residents, especially those with urgent medical appointments and those who need travel assistance.”

Calling it a “kitchen sink storm,” Ho-chul declared a state of emergency. Ho Chul announces Buffalo Airport will be closed until at least 11am Monday.

In parts of New York City, storm surges flooded streets, homes and shops.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has urged people to stay home, and the NHL has postponed the Buffalo Sabers’ home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

the forecaster says bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure dropped rapidly during a strong storm — occurred near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard-like conditions such as high winds and snow. A blizzard warning was in effect for the Great Lakes through Saturday.

Weather Channel meteorologist Chris Warren said: “Some of the coldest air we’ve felt in the Northeast in a long time will come tomorrow (Saturday) morning and temperatures will feel like freezing. .

According to National Weather Service meteorologist Richard Otto, the area could see two to four feet of snow cover over the weekend. It was just a month after the area was completed. hit by a storm In some areas, it threw a record six feet of snow.

Denver, also accustomed to winter storms, was the coldest in 32 years on Thursday when morning temperatures at the airport dropped to minus 24 degrees Celsius.

A huge storm spread from border to border and beyond. In Canada, WestJet has canceled all flights at its Pearson International Airport in Toronto from 9am Friday. in Mexico, Immigrants were waiting near the US border In unusually cold temperatures, they waited for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on whether and when to lift pandemic-era restrictions that have prevented many from seeking asylum. .

“This is nothing like the snowy days of childhood,” President Joe Biden warned Thursday in the Oval Office after a briefing from federal officials. .”

Storm flooding, exacerbated by high winds, flooded roads, homes and businesses in parts of New York City.

In Howard Beach, Queens, police officers pulled a stranded driver limping in knee-deep water to safety this morning.

At Rockaway Beach in Queens, a bystander video posted by The Rockaway Times showed a man walking past submerged cars and debris to rescue a child from a flooded ground floor apartment.

The city’s Emergency Management Commissioner said a new moon, storm surges and offshore winds made the flooding more severe.

Commissioner Zachary Ischol said heavy winds pushed water into New York Harbor and Jamaica Bay, adding about 3 feet of flood height to average tide levels.

Police departments have deployed emergency service trucks and other high-axle vehicles in flood-prone areas to facilitate rescues, Iscol said.

“They did a lot of rescues this morning,” said Iskoll. “There were no life-threatening injuries. Most of them were trapped in cars.”

Heavy rains also hit Long Island, flooding the streets with enough water to lift parked cars off the ground and run into basements.

“This is a difficult weather event. We had to prepare for not only the rain, but storm surges exacerbated by the new moon, and massive offshore winds that were piling up water in New York Harbor. Jamaica Bay, about three additional ships. [feet] It’s an above-average storm surge,” said Zachary Ischol, New York City’s Emergency Management Commissioner.

“Next step,” he warned.

At least one person has been rescued from a car washed up in frozen waters in Wells, Maine.

“Avoid coastal roads now,” tweeted the Wells Police Department, sharing video of crashing waves and flooding.

The cold weather has also led to high demand at homeless shelters, including Detroit. In Detroit, some shelters were at capacity as temperatures plummeted into his single digits and there was a negative wind chill.

“We’re not sending anyone back to this cold,” Aisha Morrell Ferguson, a spokesperson for COTS, a family-only shelter, told The Detroit News.

In Chicago, an arctic blast brought temperatures below freezing, wind chill It dropped to minus 30 degrees overnight, CBS Chicago reportedYou can’t get out of your teens on a hot Saturday.

Emergency weather shelters in Portland, Oregon called in volunteers amid high demand and staffing issues. An unprecedented number of people sought shelter in an area where thousands live outdoors, and many staff were unable to attend shifts due to dangerous road conditions or illness, officials said. rice field.

Nearly 800 people slept in the city’s five emergency shelters on Thursday night, said Julie Sullivan Springetti, spokesperson for Portland’s home Multnomah County.

“The most people I’ve ever seen come to the shelter,” she said. “We’re trying to get more support. We have specialists in charge, but this is to get people with meals and wheelchairs to the right places.”

Frigid air moves east across the central United States, Cold weather advisory to affect nearly 135 million people in coming daysNational Weather Service meteorologist Ashton Robinson Cook said Thursday. feel like It’s minus 37 degrees and you can get frostbite in less than five minutes.

As the storm hits the country, Lack of snowplow operators Transportation officials are blaming low wages and a tight labor market, affecting states from Oregon to Ohio. A shortage can make roads less safe.