More than 60 million people were on the evening of Sunday, January 5, in the path of a dangerous winter storm that will sweep the United States from the central to the east with arctic air until Monday, and cause significant travel disruptions.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of the risk of ice, snow and strong winds from western Kansas to the coastal states of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, over a swath of territory 2,400 km wide. kilometers. A state of emergency was declared in Virginia, Missouri and Kentucky and the governors of these states called on social media for residents to stay at home.
Roads may become dangerous, with the NWS saying it expects “destructive frost and freezing rain”in its latest bulletin. The agency warned that some regions would experience their “heaviest snowfall in ten years”.
Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more 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 accumulation of ice.” American Airlines also issued an alert to its customers for 46 airports across the country affected by the storm.
Some locations in the states of New York and Pennsylvania, in the east of the country, will face heavy snow from the Great Lakes, which could total 61 centimeters, according to the NWS. A blizzard is expected across the Central Plains on Sunday, making travel “extremely dangerous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists becoming stranded”predicts the organization.
The capital of the United States, Washington, could be covered in 12 centimeters of snow. A white coat that could complicate the certification on Monday by Congress of Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. The Republican President of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has also urged elected officials not to “leave town”.
Temperatures are expected to plunge, in some places, to -18°C, with strong gusts of wind worsening the situation. The possibility of freezing rain also worries authorities, due to its potential impact on roads and the power grid. A large power outage would have devastating effects for residents who would be without heat in the middle of a winter storm.
The Appalachian massif, already hit by a cataclysmic hurricane at the end of September, is particularly at risk. Severe thunderstorms are also expected in the Lower Mississippi Valley.
