U.S. braces for the cold as arctic front moves in
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A large swath of the United States prepared for a dangerous mix of sub-zero temperatures, howling winds and blizzard conditions expected to disrupt plans for millions of holiday travelers.
The blast of frigid weather began hammering the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday morning and was expected to move to the northern Rockies, then grip the Plains in a deep-freeze and blanket the Midwest with heavy snowfall, forecasters say. By Friday, the arctic front is forecast to spread bone-chilling cold as far south as Florida.
Authorities across the country are worried about the potential for power failures and warned people to take precautions to protect the elderly, the homeless and livestock — and, if possible, to postpone travel.
The northernmost regions of the U.S. could see wind chills approaching 70 degrees below zero — cold enough to leave exposed skin frostbitten in a matter of minutes.
Even warm-weather states are preparing for the worst. Texas officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of the February 2021 storm that left millions without power, some for several days. Temperatures were expected to dip to near freezing as far south as central Florida by the weekend.
The drop in temperatures will be precipitous. In Denver, the high Wednesday was around 50 degrees; by today, it is forecast to plummet to around zero.
The heaviest snow is expected in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, according to the National Weather Service, and frigid wind will be fierce across the country’s midsection.
The Northwest was already experiencing the effects by Tuesday. In Vancouver, Canada, authorities at the city’s YVR airport said the conditions have resulted in an “unprecedented number of canceled flights,” adding that cancellations and delays “will persist for the majority of scheduled flights” and that de-icing operations will continue to be necessary. In Seattle, a combination of snow, rain and low visibility caused nearly 200 flight cancellations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Greyhound canceled bus service between Seattle and Spokane, Wash.
In Oregon, one person died Tuesday after a semitractor-trailer collided with an SUV. Police said a thin layer of ice on the highway may have been a contributing factor.
Nearly 113 million Americans were expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday season, up 4% from last year but still short of the record 119 million in 2019, according to AAA. Most were planning to travel by car; around 6% were planning to fly.
Several inches of snow were expected from Chicago through the Great Lakes region by Friday. Snow also was forecast in the lower Midwest. With the storm approaching, Delta, American, United and Southwest airlines said they were waiving change fees for people traveling through affected airports.
The National Weather Service predicted wind-chill levels in Montana that could approach 60 degrees below zero by this morning. The forecast was even worse for parts of Wyoming. The 1,500-resident town of Lusk could see wind chills of 70 degrees below zero.
“Please take precautions: Check on elderly/vulnerable, protect pets, shelter livestock, cover exposed skin!” the local branch of the National Weather Service said on Twitter.
In Texas, where the temperature is expected to drop to around 11 degrees, the state’s power grid will be put to the test once again.
A historic freeze in February 2021 led to one of the biggest power failures in U.S. history, knocking out electricity to 4 million customers in Texas and leading to hundreds of deaths.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state’s power grid, said last week that it expects to have sufficient generation to meet anticipated electricity demand during this week’s winter blast. The council said it has implemented reforms to increase reliability, including bringing more generation online sooner if needed and purchasing more reserve power.
But a report on the power grid that ERCOT published last month said Texans could still face possible power failures this winter if an extreme storm prompted very high demand for electricity.