Heaviest snowfall in at least a decade: Bitter cold puts areas in US on high alert
Record-breaking snowfall and freezing temperatures sweep across the US, causing dangerous conditions, travel disruptions, and closures in the central and eastern regions.
Heaviest snowfall in at least a decade: Bitter cold puts areas in US on high alert
Snowfall in the United States has brought dangerous conditions as a potent winter storm barrels across the nation, producing what experts say could be the heaviest snowfall in a decade. The freezing temperatures, icy roads, and travel disruptions are especially affecting the central US.
On Sunday, snow and ice blanketed major highways in parts of Kansas and Indiana, where the National Guard was called in to help stranded motorists. Snow and sleet continue to smother US regions in frigid conditions, with forecasts of up to 14 inches in some areas, as the cold worsens.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri to New Jersey. The snowfall could result in record-breaking numbers for some areas, with the NWS stating, "This may be the heaviest snowfall in some locations in at least a decade."
In fact, blistery conditions in Kansas and Missouri have already been observed. Kansas saw closures on major highways, with part of Interstate 70 shut down due to heavy snow, and roads in Indiana saw nearly impassable conditions, including Interstate 64 and US Route 41.
Authorities urged residents to remain home unless unavoidable. Besides the central US, the storm is also influencing other regions. From Monday on, a brutal cold is expected to reach the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic states. The magnitude of the weather event could also mean a rare hard freeze in Florida.
The polar vortex is where a pocket of super-chill air tends to hang out near the North Pole but sometimes bulges southward into the US, and this winter storm is associated with it. Now, researchers are proposing that a warming Arctic might be raising the odds of extreme cold snaps like these.
The storm has swept across much of the US since the early weeks of winter, locking people down in their homes with punishing cold and raising alarms over road safety. US snowfall continues for days, with sub-freezing temperatures creating difficulty.
Those in affected areas are encouraged to continue monitoring alerts and only travel if necessary. This storm in the US reminds us how harsh and extreme winter weather can change our lives.
As the snowfall in the United States puts the resiliency of towns nationwide to the test, be cautious and ready.
