The massive storm system disrupted parts of the country that usually escape winter’s wrath, felling trees in some Southern states, threatening to freeze Florida over and forcing residents of Dallas to dig deep into their cupboards for find warm hats and gloves.
The capital, Washington, received heavy snowfall as President-elect Donald Trump’s victory was certified. Taking advantage of this rare snowstorm in the nation’s capital, some engaged in a snowball fight in front of the Washington Monument while flags flew at half-staff in memory of former President Jimmy Carter.
Snow and ice covered major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists. At least 20 centimeters of snow were expected, as well as gusts of up to 72 kilometers per hour.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri to New Jersey.
The polar vortex of very cold air generally revolves around the North Pole. People in the United States, Europe, and Asia feel this intense cold as the vortex escapes and plunges south.
Studies show that rapid warming in the Arctic is partly responsible for increasing the frequency with which the polar vortex extends its icy grip.
Two-thirds of the eastern United States faced bitter cold and wind chills, and forecasters anticipated temperatures 7 to 14 degrees Celsius below normal in many areas.
The Northeast, which had a relatively mild start to winter, is expected to see several cold days, said Jon Palmer, a weather service meteorologist based in Gray, Maine.
Cold air is expected to grip the east coast as far as Georgia, with temperatures falling to between -15 and -17 degrees Celsius in some coastal areas, Mr Palmer warned.
School closures were widespread, with districts in Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas canceling or delaying the start of classes Monday. Classes were also canceled in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Sunday and announced that state government offices would also be closed on Monday.
At least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri over the weekend, authorities said. Hundreds of car accidents have been reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who also declared a state of emergency, indicated that government buildings would be closed on Monday.
Virginia State Police responded to at least 230 crashes between 4 p.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday. More than 20 people were injured in those crashes, and there was one fatal crash, but it was unclear whether it was storm-related, authorities said. More than 200 additional accidents occurred later that morning.
As of midday Monday, Maryland State Troopers had responded to at least 475 calls for service, including 123 reported crashes and 156 unattended vehicles since 1 a.m., Maryland State Police said. Maryland in a message posted on social networks.
Kansas City International Airport received 11 inches of snow Sunday, breaking the previous daily record of 10 inches, set in 1962, according to the Weather Service office in Kansas City, Missouri. In Kentucky, Louisville recorded 20 centimeters of snow on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 8 centimeters set in 1910.
The Mid-Atlantic region is expected to receive an additional 6 to 12 inches of snow Monday, the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center warned. Dangerously cold temperatures are expected to follow, with nighttime lows falling below -12 degrees through midweek across the central Plains and Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
Many people were in the dark as temperatures plunged. More than 300,000 customers were without power early Monday in Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois and Missouri, according to the electric utility tracking site PowerOutage.us.
The storms have wreaked havoc on the nation’s railways, with more than 20 cancellations on Sunday, more than 40 planned for Monday and two already scheduled for Tuesday.
More than 1,400 flights were also canceled and another 740 delayed across the country as of Monday morning, according to tracking platform FlightAware. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reported that about 46% of arrivals and 59% of departures were canceled.
A record 8 inches of snow fell at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Sunday, leading to dozens of flight cancellations that extended into Monday. A few more inches of snow were expected Monday in the Cincinnati area, where car and truck crashes Monday morning closed at least two major roads leading into downtown.
