A winter storm of exceptional magnitude is currently hitting the United States, prompting 30 states to issue severe weather warnings. Seven states – Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri – have declared states of emergency.
Southern regions, traditionally spared from extreme cold like Mississippi and Florida, are facing particularly worrying weather conditions. In Kansas, bad weather has already caused several road accidents, including the overturning of a fire truck.
Temperatures, well below the historical average, are expected to persist for a week. This exceptional phenomenon is explained by a weakening of the polar vortex, a mass of cold air which usually revolves around the North Pole. Its extension towards the south causes these unusual extreme conditions.
-Faced with this situation, the main American airlines (American Airlines, Delta, Southwest and United) have eliminated their reservation change fees. The East Coast is bracing for the storm’s arrival, with Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia anticipating snow and ice from Sunday through Monday.
Meteorologists predict that this winter system could generate the most severe snowstorms and lowest temperatures in the last decade, affecting tens of millions of Americans.
