Snow, sleet and power outages: 150m Americans brace for massive winter storm | US weather
A powerful winter storm with more than 150 million Americans in its sights began to wreak havoc on much of the United States on Saturday; In addition to heavy snow and sleet, it also brought the risk of freezing rain and widespread power outages.
Snowfall already Reporting on Saturday morning parts of the southern and midwestern plains, including areas Oklahoma, Iowa, Tennessee, in kansas, TexasAnd Missouri.
US National Weather Service (NWS) warned By Saturday morning, a powerful winter storm was “on its way” and “precipitation is already impacting” the south-central parts of the country.
Forecasters said this more 160 million Americans It is expected to be affected by the winter storm. Weather officials warn that widespread, prolonged power outages are possible, along with major travel disruptions, extensive tree damage and hazardous conditions.
The NWS said heavy snowfall is expected over a wide area throughout the weekend, from the southern Rockies and plains to the Mid-Atlantic and northeast. The NWS added that snowfall totals across the Ohio valley, mid-Atlantic and northeast will likely exceed 12 inches.
Widespread freezing rain and sleet are expected for the southern plains, lower Mississippi valley, Tennessee valley and southeast.
The NWS warned of “catastrophic ice accumulation” from the southern lowlands to the mid-Atlantic and southeast. Catastrophic impacts are expected when freezing rain amounts exceed half an inch, he added, and totals of more than 1 inch are possible in northern Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, southern Tennessee and the southern Appalachians.
Following the storm, the agency said communities from the southern plains to the northeast can expect to deal with “extremely cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills.”
Agency on Friday in question It said power outages “are certain for some, particularly in areas where the heaviest ice will accumulate on trees and power lines.”
The service urged Americans on Friday to:Take this storm seriously”.
According to PowerOutage.us, nearly 80,000 customers nationwide were without power as of Saturday morning; 32,500 of those were in Texas.
Friday night Donald Trump in question He said on the Truth Social platform that he had been “informed about the Record Cold Wave and Historic Winter Storm that will hit much of the United States this weekend.”
“The Trump Administration is coordinating with State and Local Officials,” the President said. He declared that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) was “fully prepared to respond”, less than a month after reports that his administration was drafting plans to lay off thousands of staff.
“Stay Safe and Stay Warm!” Trump wrote at Truth Social.
Before the storm, a state of emergency was declared in at least 16 states, as well as Washington DC.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warned Saturday morning reported that the winter storm was “moving through” the state and “up to 15 inches of snow, ice accumulation and dangerously cold temperatures are expected in areas.”
He urged citizens to avoid travel and be prepared.
The storm has already disrupted air travel, with more than 9,000 flights within, into and out of the U.S. canceled on Saturday and Sunday, according to the website. Flight Awareness.
Meanwhile, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in question Between 3 and 16 inches of snow is predicted to fall in the city this weekend.
