A powerful winter storm has swept across much of the United States, placing more than 140 million people—over 40% of the population—under weather warnings. The storm, which began on Saturday, has brought heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain, causing widespread power outages and hazardous travel conditions.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have declared states of emergency. Snowfall was reported in parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, and Missouri. Ice and sleet hit northern Texas overnight and moved toward central areas, while ice formed on roads and bridges in a third of Mississippi's counties. In New York City, three people were found dead on Saturday afternoon due to weather-related circumstances.
Nearly 14,000 flights through Monday have been cancelled, according to FlightAware.com. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of 'catastrophic ice accumulation' from the southern plains to the mid-Atlantic and south-east, with totals possibly exceeding one inch in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the southern Appalachians. Heavy snow is expected across a large area from the southern Rockies to the north-east, with totals exceeding 12 inches in the Ohio valley, mid-Atlantic, and north-east.
More than 130,000 customers were without power by Saturday afternoon. Dominion Energy said it is preparing for widespread outages in Virginia and North Carolina. The NWS urged Americans to 'take this storm seriously,' noting that power outages are 'certain for some' and that recovery efforts will be hindered by bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills expected in the storm's wake.
