A dangerous winter storm hit the United States on Sunday, where millions of people in the eastern half of the country are threatened by blizzards and some localities will record the heaviest snowfall in a decade, meteorologists predict.
More than 60 million people are in the path of the storm, which is expected to sweep the eastern half of the United States with arctic air through Monday and cause significant travel disruptions. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of the risk of ice, snow and high winds from western Kansas to the coastal states of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, over a wide swath of territory of 2,400 kilometers.
“A disruptive winter storm”
“A disruptive winter storm will affect the Central Plains through the Mid-Atlantic through Monday, with heavy snow and ice accumulations”specifies the NWS in its latest bulletin. The agency warned that areas from northeastern Kansas to north-central Missouri would experience “The heaviest snowfall in ten years”. Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe due to human-caused climate change.
The first major storm of 2025 has already caused the temporary closure of Kansas City International Airport on Saturday, “due to rapid ice accumulation”. Flights then resumed after the runways were cleared, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said. Parts of eastern New York and Pennsylvania will experience heavy snowfall from the Great Lakes, which could total 24 inches, according to the NWS.
A snowstorm is expected in the Central Plains early Sunday, making travel more difficult. “extremely dangerous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists getting stuck”predicted the NWS. The US capital, Washington, could be covered in a snowpack of 12 centimeters or more, with up to 25 cm in surrounding areas. Temperatures are expected to drop below 18 degrees Celsius in places, with strong gusts of wind worsening the situation.
Severe thunderstorms are expected in the lower Mississippi Valley. Freezing rain and sleet are expected from Kansas and east to Kentucky and Virginia, with a risk of downed trees and power lines. The governors of Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia declared states of emergency in their states.
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