While the vast majority of Americans suffering from freezing temperatures can find comfort inside warm homes and businesses, more than 50,000 people were without power Tuesday evening in Oregon, where half of the 14 deaths attributed to the Arctic blast occurred.
The Pacific Northwest was generally bracing for freezing rain and ice, but western Oregon was expecting the worst, with the state's three largest cities — Portland, Salem and Eugene — expected to get up to a half-inch of ice early Wednesday before… that. Postponed for later today.
Many residents will have to brave cold weather without heat after some areas lost power due to a weekend storm and severe weather hampered repair efforts. Although smaller-scale power outages have hit other parts of the country, no other state has as many as 10,000 electric customers in the dark, according to poweroutage.us.
More outages could occur, according to power company Portland General Electric and the National Weather Service, which posted a warning saying: “Power outages and tree damage are likely due to ice. Traveling can be difficult.”
A 47-mile stretch of Interstate 84, which connects Portland to the Columbia River Gorge, was closed in anticipation of icy conditions, and residents were encouraged not to venture out even on foot because of the slick sidewalks.
This message was clearly stated in the headline on the Portland Oregonian's website, which said: “Go Home and Don't Leave: Ice Storm Arrives in Portland.”
150 meters below Weather Alerts:“Dangerous cold” puts the United States in its clutches
Developments:
∎ Of the 14 weather-related deaths over the past few days, five people in Oregon died of hypothermia and two died from falling trees. A truck collided with a snowmobile in Utah, a skier was killed in an avalanche in Wyoming, and three people died of suspected hypothermia in Wisconsin. On a slippery Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, two people were killed Tuesday when their SUV collided with a snowplow.
∎ More than 10,500 flights were delayed or canceled as of 8 p.m. ET. More than 36,000 such disruptions were reported from Saturday to Monday, a travel-heavy weekend due to the Martin Luther King holiday.
∎ Classes have been canceled for millions of students from Portland to Chicago to Denver to Dallas to Baltimore. Many schools have already canceled classes for Wednesday as well.
∎ Authorities in Texas and the Tennessee Valley region have asked residents to voluntarily reduce electricity use to avoid power outages resulting from high demand.
∎ In Kentucky, Powell County Search and Rescue led a team that successfully rescued four hikers trapped in the Red River Gorge, calling the operation “one of the most dangerous rescues ever conducted in the gorge.”
About 3/4 of the United States is in a deep freeze
Millions of cheering students were kept out of school, travel was chaotic and the federal government closed its offices around the nation's capital on Tuesday as a precaution. A wall of bitter cold temperatures, ice and snow descends over a wide swath of the country.
The sweeping mass of Arctic air from Canada is expected to bring temperatures below freezing in three-quarters of the country, and 68 million Americans are under a winter weather warning on Tuesday. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., saw an end to snow droughts that had lasted for nearly two years.
“Once again, much of the weather news is dominated by winter weather headlines,” said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Part of that story is the death toll from the cold front, which now stands at 14 after five more deaths were reported Tuesday.
About 4 inches of snow fell in the Washington, D.C., area, forcing the closure of many businesses, offices and schools. The snow had ended, but the deep freeze had just begun, and the temperature was not expected to rise above freezing until Thursday. By Friday, the emergence of another system could mean another deep freeze lasting throughout the weekend.
In suburban Virginia, Mark Hyatt, 47, walked three miles before shoveling two cars and climbing the stairs to his home in Arlington. Hayat, a defense contractor, was working from home because his office was closed. He wasn't complaining.
“I think it's great to have snow here after two years,” Hyatt said. “I hope they have some on the ski slopes. It's been tough, global warming is real.”
More snow falls in Nashville in one day than in a normal year
In Tennessee, nearly two dozen abandoned cars were lined up on the steep, icy entrance to a Nashville apartment complex. The area averaged 4.7 inches of snowfall annually from 1991 to 2020, but this storm dropped 8 inches on the National Weather Service office. And it won't melt any time soon – the temperature isn't expected to rise above freezing until Thursday afternoon.
Elijah Clarke carried his backpack as he left his Honda Civic in the middle of the road. Clark said he drove to a friend's house to drop off the guitar.
“We're stuck,” he told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. “I came back hoping I could get up the hill — front-wheel drive and all that — and it didn't work out. It didn't work out at all.”
– Keith Sharon, Evan Milnes and Angel Latham, Nashville Tennessee
More record cold in most parts of the country
A similar narrative is spreading across most parts of the country. Ascherman cited areas of winter precipitation along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and said frigid Arctic air is “trapped” over the central and southern United States. After producing widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain over the deep South on Monday, a fast-moving system spread moderately heavy snowfall into the mid-Atlantic on Tuesday morning.
The Pacific Northwest faced “significant” freezing rain as well. Parts of the Cascades in the northern Rockies could see 15 to 28 inches of snow, Asherman said. Another day of record cold is expected across much of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Midwest, he added. Wind chills below 30 degrees below zero could extend as far south as the Mississippi Valley, Asherman said.
A reprieve is expected Wednesday, but another wave of Arctic air is expected to sweep across the Plains and Deep South by Thursday or Friday.
The snow drought in the Northeast is coming to an end
Philadelphia saw more than an inch of snow for the first time in 715 days. Baltimore snapped a 1.4-inch streak from 716 days ago. Washington, D.C., ended its streak of 728 days.
“It's official! More than 1” of snow so far in DC and Baltimore, for almost the first time. Two years ago we saw this much snow!” the weather service office that serves the cities said in a social media post.
New York's Central Park received more than an inch of snow for the first time in 701 days.
“The line is over!” The New York City Weather Service said in a post.
Looking to the future, more of the same
For those looking to warm up mid-week, enjoy it while you can. It will be brief.
The weather forecast for next weekend is for another arctic blast to hit much of the country, though not as powerful as the blast that still sends shivers down the spine of most Americans. The central and eastern United States is expected to bear the brunt of this upcoming cold front, especially on Friday and Saturday.
“While temperatures are generally expected to be 15-30 F below average, this second round of cold temperatures should be less extreme than the current cold snap in most locations.” The weather forecast center says.
Low temperatures and expected precipitation mean snow will accumulate in cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and New York, AccuWeather reports, adding that some locations could be covered by several inches starting Thursday night in Midwestern cities. .
More snow awaits in Buffalo, but residents are ready to help
The Buffalo area, where they measure snowfall in inches per hour rather than per day, received 1 to 3 feet of snow overnight after another 3 feet over the weekend forced the NFL Bills' playoff game to be postponed by one day.
Photos of Buffalo residents clearing snow from seats before Monday night's playoff game at Highmark Stadium revealed the city's passion for the team, which may call on fans to help them again on Sunday when the Bills host the Kansas City Chiefs. Snow is expected to fall most of the week before a partial clearing on Sunday.
“The impact of snow off Lake Erie is shifting south this afternoon,” the National Weather Service office in Buffalo said. he said in a social media post. Snowfall rates could reach 1-2 per hour.
A foot or more of new snow is expected to fall during the day Thursday, providing plenty of opportunities for the 14-year-old who came to help Belinda Bonacquisti work his snow-removing magic. She only had a shovel to clear 3 feet of snow from her driveway in suburban Buffalo when Monday afternoon.
“I didn't know where he was coming from or what direction,” she told WKBW-TV. “He really saved me.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
