Winter onslaught staggers Northeast
Snow, ice, wind could send temps to minus 40
A blast of winter that dropped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest grew more angry as it roared east on Sunday, paralyzing airports, railroads and highways in more than a dozen states.
Blowing snow from wind gusts of 50 mph or more along with plummeting temperatures added to the dangerous conditions sweeping the nation’s northern tier from Missouri to Maine.
The National Weather Service warned that some areas of the Northeast could see 2 feet of snow into Monday, and southern New England may be battered by a quarter-inch of ice.
“Feet of snow, blizzard conditions, a significant buildup of ice, tree-breaking winds and plunging temperatures will close roads, cause flight cancellations and disrupt daily activities over a large part of the northeastern United States,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
President Donald Trump weighed
in on Twitter, urging the millions of people dealing with the storm to be careful – and stay at home if possible. He cited the bitter cold temperatures and added that it “wouldn’t be bad to have a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now!”
More than 4,000 flights were canceled from Friday through Monday, and more are expected. About 1,000 arrivals and departures were canceled at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport alone. A United Airlines flight from Phoenix, carrying 129 people, skidded from a slick runway there Saturday, but no injuries were reported.
Trains provided little respite. Amtrak canceled more than 20 trains Sunday and altered routes for almost as many. In Pittsburgh, all inbound and outbound rail service was suspended for several hours Sunday because of frozen overhead power lines, the Port Authority of Allegheny County said.
Highways were dangerous. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared an emergency, called up 450 National Guard members and banned tractor-trailers and buses from the New York State Thruway and other interstate highways. The state Highway Department warned that those who did venture out should allow plenty of room for plows that don’t travel more than 35 mph.
Rochester already had more than 18 inches early Sunday. Buffalo had more than a foot, and the weather service warned that gusty winds would blow into the night.
“Very cold air will settle into the region tonight with a northwest wind creating wind chills -20° to -40°F,” the weather service said.
Sleet and freezing rain were “creating difficult travel and causing power outages in southern and eastern New England,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
More than 30,000 Connecticut homes and businesses were without power, and the number was rising as the temperature fell. Parts of Vermont and Maine were expecting final snow totals of up to 18 inches. The wind chill could push temperatures a slow as -35 degrees, the National Weather Service warned.
“Significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice will make travel very hazardous or impossible,” the weather service said.
Earlier, Missouri and Kansas were among the hardest-hit states. The temperature dropped to 8 degrees at Kansas City International Airport just before midnight on Saturday, making it the city’s coldest day in almost a year.
A 15-car pileup shut down Interstate 55 near Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, for hours. The highway was open Sunday, but the state Transportation Department warned that it was snowcovered and urged “extreme caution.”
In Kansas, snowplow driver Stephen Windler was killed when his truck rolled over on a highway near Stilwell, the Kansas Department of Transportation reported.
“My heart is breaking for the family of this dedicated employee,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “My thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire KDOT family at this devastating time.
Blowing snow from wind gusts of 50 mph or more added to the misery in more than a dozen states.