By: The Trek News Desk
A powerful winter storm sweeping across large parts of the United States has caused widespread disruption, claimed at least seven lives and plunged more than 800,000 homes and businesses into darkness. Weather authorities have warned that conditions remain extremely dangerous and have urged residents to stay indoors.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the storm’s impact stretches from Texas to New England. Heavy snowfall, icy roads, and freezing rain have forced the closure of schools, halted road traffic, and severely disrupted air travel. Flight tracking data shows that more than 11,000 flights have been cancelled nationwide.
Officials confirmed that two people in Louisiana died due to hypothermia after being exposed to severe cold. In Texas, the Mayor of Austin reported an exposure-related death. Authorities in Kansas discovered the body of a woman buried under snow, with preliminary assessments suggesting hypothermia as the cause. Tennessee has also reported three weather-related fatalities.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that at least five people died on Saturday, though investigations are ongoing to determine the exact causes. New York Governor Kathy Hochul appealed to residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, calling the cold “brutal and life-threatening.”
Meteorologists warn that heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain could persist for several days. Freezing rain is considered especially hazardous, as rain droplets instantly freeze upon contact, coating roads, trees, and power lines with ice. This has already led to widespread power outages and dangerous driving conditions.
Hundreds of road accidents have been reported in states such as Virginia and Kentucky. Officials estimate that nearly 180 million people, more than half of the US population, could be affected by this massive winter system.
Nearly half of the US states have declared a state of emergency. In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser described the storm as the city’s heaviest snowfall in a decade. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warned that ice accumulation, rather than snow, is worsening conditions in his state.
Southern states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee, are experiencing temperatures 15-20 degrees Celsius below seasonal averages, an unusual and dangerous situation for the region. Some areas could see ice buildup of up to an inch.
The storm has extended into Canada as well. Authorities in Ontario expect snowfall ranging from 15 to 30 centimetres, while hundreds of flights have been cancelled due to severe weather.
Weather experts attribute the extreme conditions to a weakened polar vortex, a band of strong winds that usually traps cold air over the Arctic. When these winds weaken, frigid air spills southward, colliding with warmer air and triggering intense winter storms.
Some scientists suggest that climate change may be influencing the behaviour of the polar vortex. Forecasts indicate that dangerously cold conditions could persist into early February, delaying recovery efforts and prolonging disruptions.
Source: News Agencies
