ARLINGTON, Va. — The deep freeze that settled across much of the country Sunday threatened to blanket dozens of states with snow and ice, bringing freezing temperatures as far south as Florida and creating chaos for travelers, football fans and even voters in Iowa. Party conferences.
Wind chill advisories or advisories went into effect Sunday for more than 100 million Americans, and more than 44 million were under a winter weather advisory. Most parts of the country faced temperatures 20 to 40 degrees below normal.
The extreme cold is expected to extend south into northern Texas, while Montana and the Dakotas could see extremely cold winds. The National Weather Service said North Dakota could see “life-threatening winds of 60 degrees below zero.”
“It only takes a few minutes for frostbite to set in,” the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said in a statement Sunday urging people to stay home.
A winter storm packed with snow and ice will threaten the Mid-Atlantic and New England Monday night into Tuesday night, AccuWeather said. The storm and a wall of arctic air are expected to pass the jet stream across much of the country over the next few days.
“For much of the country, this will end up being the coldest and most widespread Arctic air in a few winters,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz.
Developments:
∎ The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is charged with operating the state's power grid, said it expects the grid to operate normally, though city and county leaders and energy experts warn of possible power outages due to extreme conditions. In the 2021 winter storm, 4 million Texans were left without power after nearly half of the state's generating capacity went offline due to frozen equipment and other weather-related issues across the system.
∎ In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser was planning to activate a cold weather emergency Monday through Thursday. Human services agencies will assist unsheltered and vulnerable populations by providing shelters, warming buses, gloves, blankets and hand warmers.
∎ In Arlington, outside the nation's capital, deep freezes rarely occur, and authorities urged residents to consider casing pipes or letting water run trickle down to avoid freezing and cracking: “Temperatures are expected to drop this week. Think about your pipes.”
Snow and ice from Texas to Tennessee
The snow falling across Texas, Oklahoma and southern Kansas on Sunday is expected to extend into Arkansas, Missouri, the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachia through Monday. Some areas could see more than a foot of snow, AccuWeather said. A dangerous area of ice is expected late Sunday in Texas and southeastern Oklahoma before extending into Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee through Monday.
Officials in southern states advised residents to prepare for extremely cold weather. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders previously declared a state of emergency to give utility trucks and trucks transporting essential supplies more flexibility to respond.
“We urge Texans to take precautions to protect themselves, their loved ones and their homes,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday.
In Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, officials said they were preparing for cold weather. Pipes burst in 2021 and 2022 amid cold snaps, causing water pressure to drop across the city. Ted Hennevin, interim director of the city water system in Jackson, told WAPT-TV that crews were on standby to respond to any broken pipes.
3 feet of snow, 50 mph winds
In the northeast, Buffalo was under siege and An NFL playoff game scheduled for Sunday has been postponed. A band of lakeshore snow will accumulate 1 to 2 feet across much of the area, and some communities could see up to 3 feet, the National Weather Service said. The weather service warned that wind speeds of up to 50 mph could lead to near-blizzard conditions.
“Travel will be very difficult or impossible at times with deep snow cover on the roads,” the warning said. “Widespread snowfall will reduce visibility to near zero.”
Iowa, where high-profile political caucuses are scheduled for Monday, set record temperatures on Sunday. The temperature at 7:30 a.m. dropped to 18 degrees below zero at Des Moines International Airport, the lowest temperature recorded for January 14 in Des Moines since 1888. It is also the lowest temperature recorded since a reading of 20 degrees below zero in January 2019.
“Many roads were washed out or partially closed overnight,” the Des Moines Weather Service warned on social media Sunday. “Do yourself and the road crew a favor and don’t travel!”
Parts of North Florida are expected to head from a daytime high near 70 degrees on Monday into the upper 40s by Wednesday. AccuWeather warned that overnight temperatures could drop below freezing in the northern third of the state.
Freezing temperatures in michigan
Two to six inches of snow could fall and another four inches Sunday night, while areas of southern Michigan could see up to an inch after a severe storm battered the state over the weekend.
Since Friday, areas across the state have witnessed heavy snowfall, strong winds, and thunderstorms. Snowfall and low temperatures created icy conditions, making roads dangerous. the The storm began Friday afternoon and continued into Saturday, creating dangerous conditions and power outages for thousands across Michigan.
the Michigan Department of Transportation And Michigan State Police Dozens of accidents were reported throughout the weekend, as crews continually worked to clear roads. Road conditions are especially dangerous in northern Michigan, where severe lakeshore clusters are causing near-whiteout conditions and reduced visibility, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials are urging residents to keep an emergency kit and a fully charged cell phone with them before taking to the roads.
Live updates for the 2024 Iowa caucuses:Why does the race matter to Trump, Haley and other GOP candidates?
In Iowa, heroism of first responders helps women in labor
Deputies in Marshall County, Iowa, worked with other first responders to help a woman who gave birth in the snowstorm early Sunday. The sheriff's office said in a message asking for help from a woman who was having contractions that came shortly before midnight statement. Responding deputies found the snow-covered road impassable and drove a half-mile in blizzard conditions to reach the woman's home.
The Clemons Fire Department brought in a tractor to clear the way for the ambulance. The woman gave birth at 12:38 a.m., and she and her baby were taken to Unity Point Health, authorities said.
Trump isn't worried about the weather in the Iowa caucuses
In Des Moines, former President Donald Trump met with campaign volunteers on Sunday before heading to a rally in Indianola, less than 20 miles south. Trump is the favorite to win the Republican caucuses A new Iowa poll released Saturday night shows him leading the field by 28 percentage points.
This is expected to be the coldest Iowa caucus ever. In 1972, at the first Iowa caucus, wind chills reached 26 degrees below zero. But the high temperature rose to 25 degrees. The maximum temperature expected on Monday is -3 degrees.
“We seem to have a lot of good enthusiasm,” Trump said. “I don't know, maybe the weather won't be that big of a deal.”
Dangerous road conditions are coming:We have tips for driving in the snow.
The West Coast is not exempt from winter weather and outages
Nearly 170,000 homes and businesses were without power across Oregon early Sunday after a winter storm hit much of the state, Oregon and southwest Washington. Temperatures dropped into the teens as energy companies scrambled to restore heat and light. Adding to the suffering: strong winds of more than 80 miles per hour, causing trees and power lines to fall.
Portland's Office of Environmental Services said crews were working around the clock at several locations to make emergency repairs and prevent sewage from leaking into homes and businesses. Portland's largest wastewater pumping station, which serves downtown and the surrounding inner city, was partially under service due to frozen pipes.
“As conditions remain dangerous over the next few days, we need you to stay home,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said Saturday on social media. “As much as you can, please check on your neighbors. It takes our entire community to get through this weather event.”
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management has also activated its Emergency Coordination Center for state agencies and nonprofit partners to share life safety resources. The department encouraged people to stay home, stay informed, make an emergency plan, and stock up on an emergency kit.
Iowa won't be getting hot anytime soon
The high temperature in Des Moines was expected to reach just 9 degrees below zero, which is close to the all-time record set at 14 degrees below zero in January 1912. The wind chill today could reach 40 below zero.
The postponement won't come immediately either. The low temperature on Sunday night was expected to reach 17 below zero. High temperatures on Monday, the day of the Iowa caucuses and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, were expected to reach minus 5 degrees. Temperatures will drop to minus 11 degrees Monday night, with wind chills reaching minus 30 degrees, meteorologists said.
“This extreme arctic air coupled with blustery to strong winds will continue to create dangerous temperatures and wind chills into early next week, with wind chill values dropping to minus 45 at times,” the Des Moines Weather Service warned.
Steelers vs. Bills:The AFC Wild Card game at Buffalo has been postponed until Monday due to weather
A different kind of “delay of game” for Buffalo
In New York, the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services urged Western New Yorkers to stay home.
“Travel in the affected areas will be impossible and at times dangerous throughout the weekend due to life-threatening blizzard-like conditions,” the agency said in a statement.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has struck a deal with the NFL to postpone Sunday's playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers from Sunday to Monday.
“I have been in contact with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend,” she wrote on social media. “In consultation with our emergency response teams, @BuffaloBills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 PM on Monday.”
Contributing: Marina Petofsky, USA TODAY; Victoria Reyna Rodriguez, Jose Mendiola and Philip Jones, Des Moines Register; Alan Torres and David DeMille, Eugene record keeper; Gina Prestinenzi, Detroit Free Press; Associated Press
