Catastrophic Winter Storm Targets 19 US States, 100 Million Under Alert
A potentially catastrophic winter storm is taking aim at at least 19 US states, with an estimated 100 million people under some form of winter weather watch, warning, or advisory. The National Weather Service issued the alert on Wednesday ahead of the system, which is expected to begin on Friday and continue through the weekend.
Major Cities Brace for Significant Disruption
Millions of Americans from New Mexico to the Carolinas are preparing for a severe ice storm that could crush trees and power lines, leading to prolonged power outages. Major metropolitan areas along the East Coast, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, could see enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible.
Forecasters on the East Coast are increasingly confident the storm will strike these big cities, with snow amounts potentially reaching a foot or more in the I-95 corridor from D.C. to Boston. In Washington, D.C., officials have warned that "the combination of heavy snow and ice alongside prolonged very cold temperatures presents a unique and significant risk to life and property across virtually the entire region."
Widespread Wintry Precipitation Expected
The storm is projected to bring heavy snow and all types of wintry precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet. An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast before continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas and heading northeast.
The latest forecasts warn of the potential for a half-inch of ice or more in many areas, including parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee. This amount of ice can lead to crippling ice storms, toppling trees and power lines to create widespread and long-lasting power outages.
State and Local Preparations Underway
Authorities across the affected states are mobilising resources in preparation for the severe weather:
- Texas has over 1,000 pieces of winter weather equipment, including snowplows, motor graders, and brine tankers.
- Arkansas has 78,000 cubic yards of salt on hand, with 121 salt houses, 600 salt spreaders, and 700 snowplows.
- Chicago has 330 snowplows, 40 4x4 vehicles, and about 12 beet juice-dispensing trucks. The natural sugars in beet juice help salt mixtures work at lower temperatures and prevent refreezing.
- Memphis, Tennessee operates 15 snow and ice removal trucks and has six trucks that spread brine.
- Nashville, Tennessee has 45 snowplow trucks ready, with one named after country music legend Dolly Parton (Dolly Plowton). The city added 600 miles to snowplow routes last year to reach deeper into neighbourhoods.
Travel Disruption and Safety Concerns
Four major US hub airports are in the path of the southern storm this weekend: Dallas-Fort Worth; Atlanta; Memphis, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Ice, sleet, and snow could delay passengers and cargo, with more major airports on the East Coast potentially seeing delays as the storm moves east.
Charles Daniel, who drives a semitrailer across western Oklahoma where up to 12 inches of snow could fall, emphasised the dangers: "You've got to be very weather aware, and real smart about what you're doing. One mistake can literally kill somebody, so you have to use your head."
In Jackson, Mississippi, where a mix of ice and sleet is possible, the city owns no snowplows but uses other heavy machinery like skid steers and small excavators to clear roads, along with three trucks that carry salt and sand.
Extreme Cold Adds to Hazards
The weather service projects windchill values as low as 50 below zero Fahrenheit (minus 45.6 Celsius) in parts of the Northern Plains, particularly northern Minnesota and North Dakota. Nils Anderson, who owns an outdoor equipment store in Duluth, Minnesota, advised: "When the weather forecast says, 'feels like negative 34,' it's just a matter of covering skin and being prepared for it."
Eric Guillot, a scientist at the weather service, highlighted the importance of the freezing point: "If the temperature is slightly above 32 [Fahrenheit], it will be mostly liquid. But the colder it is below the mark, the more efficiently precipitation will freeze."
As the storm approaches, parts of at least 19 states remain under winter storm watches, with more watches and warnings expected. The affected states include Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
