Winter pummels U.S. with fierce cold, snow
Arctic air settles in over central U.S. for a prolonged visit.
The city of Erie, Pa., has had more than 65 inches of snow since Christmas Eve, and temps are in single digits across central U.S.
Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday and will stay put for days to come, as the snow-hardened city of Erie, Pa., digs out from a record snowfall.
Forecasters warned of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.
Wind chill advisories or warnings were in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York. Those places and states in the northern Plains and Great Lakes were projected to see highs in the teens or single-digits, and lows below zero for the rest of the week and into the new year.
The National Weather Ser- vice said wind chills in some areas Thursday could make temperatures feel below zero.
Meanwhile, Erie was recovering from a storm that brought 34 inches of snow on Christmas Day, smashing the all-time daily snowfall record for the Great Lakes city, and 26.5 more inches Tuesday.
More than 65 inches have fallen on the city since Christ- mas Eve, with several more inches falling Wednesday as residents dug out in frigid temperatures.
Strong westerly winds over Lake Erie picked up moisture, developed into snow and converged with opposing winds, dumping snow in a band along the shore from Ohio to New York, said Zach Sefcovic, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Cleveland.
Sabrina Ram, 33, drove into Erie on Christmas Eve to visit her parents just as the snow began to fall. Ram, who lives in suburban Washington, and her father spent five hours on Christmas and two hours Tuesday clearing the driveway.
In New York, communities near Lake Ontario’s eastern end, including Redfield and Boylston, also saw around 5 feet of snow this week.