Winter Storm Tracker: Weather Alerts Affect Nearly All US States
- There were widespread extreme weather conditions across the U.S. including flood watches in the east, blizzard warnings in Iowa, and wind chill warnings in the central U.S. Additionally, over 1,100 flights were canceled and Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County had 13% of flights canceled. Power outages affected more than 443,000 customers across five states: Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New York.
- The extreme weather caused a postponement of the NFL wildcard playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was relocated to Monday due to the expected snowfall of one to three feet in Buffalo and the surrounding area. The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins game was played under expected temperatures of minus 4 F with wind chills that could make it feel like minus 20 F to minus 25 F.
- Weather-related deaths were reported in Wisconsin, a suburb of Chicago, and Oregon due to snow blowing, cold exposure, and suspected hypothermia respectively. The heavy snow in the upper Midwest led to whiteout conditions due to gusty winds, with Des Moines, Iowa hit with nine inches of snow and Davenport, Iowa with 15 inches. The northeast continued to experience heavy rain, leading to flooding in some parts of New Jersey.
U.S. Weather Alerts: From Floods to Blizzards
Every U.S. state experienced diverse weather alerts on Saturday, with flood watches in the east, blizzard warnings in Iowa, and wind chill alerts in over a dozen central U.S. states.
Flight Cancelations and Power Outages
Flight cancellations surged over the weekend, with over 1,100 on Saturday morning, as per FlightAware. This followed a high of over 2,000 cancellations on Friday. High impact was seen at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County, while Buffalo Niagara International Airport witnessed over half of its flights canceled. Power outages affected over 443,000 customers in Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New York by Saturday evening, with data from PowerOutage.us.
Impact on NFL Playoffs
Buffalo residents are expecting one to three feet of snow through Monday, leading to the postponement of the NFL wildcard playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers to Monday afternoon, as announced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Meanwhile, Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Miami Dolphins took place in freezing temperatures.
Fatalities due to Winter Weather
Dangerous conditions amidst the snow and bitter cold temperatures have resulted in fatalities across several states. In Wisconsin, a 69-year-old man is suspected to have died while snow blowing his driveway, as reported in local sources. Cold exposure claimed one life in Schiller Park, a Chicago suburb, as per the Associated Press. A suspected death from hypothermia occurred in Portland, Oregon, according to Multnomah County officials.
Blizzard Conditions, Possible Flooding, and Lingering Cold
Upper Midwest experienced heavy snow and gusty winds, causing whiteout conditions. Des Moines, Iowa received nine inches of snow, while Davenport on the Illinois border saw 15 inches. The blizzard-like conditions have come days before the Iowa Republican caucus on Monday. Northeastern states witnessed heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours. Wind chills are expected to cause single-digit temperatures in southern cities including Dallas, Nashville, and Little Rock, Arkansas, with sub-zero temperatures in Oklahoma City and Amarillo, Texas.
USA News
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