Topline
Thousands of Americans woke up without electricity Saturday following a winter storm that the National Weather Service said will continue to bring “bitterly cold temperatures” from Texas to Maine throughout the day, after dumping over a foot of snow in some areas of the Northeast earlier this week.
In an aerial view, U.S. and Texas state flags fly over car dealerships as light traffic moves … [+]
Key Facts
Heavy ice accumulated on trees and power lines, leaving more than 200,000 customers without power throughout the U.S., according to Poweroutage.us.
Outages left more than 90,000 customers without power in Tennessee, more than 45,000 in New York, about 38,000 in Ohio and nearly 15,000 in Texas.
The storm brought more than 16 inches of snow overnight Friday to parts of New York, Vermont, Maine and Indiana, according to the NWS.
More than 1,000 flights scheduled for Saturday were cancelled within, into or out of the U.S., according to FlightAware, down from over 4,000 cancellations on Friday.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (196 flights) and Dallas Love Field (47 flights) were the most affected airports, with more than 20% of their flights cancelled.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center said temperatures will remain “abnormally cold from the Southern Plains to the East Coast” on Saturday, though it expects warmer weather Sunday.
Key Background
The storm has caused widespread disruption in a 2,000-mile swath through central and eastern states for several days. A tornado broke out in western Alabama, killing one person and injuring three others, the Associated Press reports. In the Northeast, hundreds of vehicle collisions were reported in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. One crash near Memphis, Tennessee, led to a 15-car pileup. Massachusetts State Police said “patrols were going from one crash to another” in a tweet on Friday. The governors of Texas, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri declared states of emergency due to the storm.
Crucial Quote
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to stay home to avoid icy conditions and falling tree limbs in certain parts of the state as the storm blew out to sea late Friday and Saturday. “We’re not out of the danger zone yet,” Hochul said. “The weather is wildly unpredictable.”
What To Watch For
The NWS said “a more tranquil stretch of weather is on tap this weekend” heading into Sunday. The NWS forecasts “mostly dry conditions” for most residents from the Great Plains to the Northeast, and for temperatures to gradually warm up.
Further Reading
Winter Storm Chaos Continues With Widespread Power Outages And Thousands Of Flight Cancellations (Forbes)
Winter Storm Causes 4,600 Flight Cancellations, Widespread Power Outages—Here Are The Places Most Affected (Forbes)
Massive US Winter Storm Prompts Alerts Over 2,000-Mile Stretch (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/thousands-without-power-as-winter-storm-brings-bitterly-cold-temperatures-to-large-portions-of-us/