Whitewashed: Gigantic winter storm brings blizzard and cold to the US
A winter storm trapped drivers on icy roads, blacked out hundreds and thousands of homes, grounded airplanes, and forced schools to remain closed in large parts of the US. More than 65 million people in more than two dozen states were on alert
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A brutal winter storm closed interstate highways from Arizona to Wyoming Wednesday, trapped drivers in cars, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people and prompted the first blizzard warning in Southern California in decades — and the worst won’t be over for several days. AFP
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The storm, one in a series that was expected to pummel the country through the week, sowed chaos coast to coast. At one point on Wednesday, more than 65 million people in more than two dozen states were under weather alerts. AFP
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The wintry mix hit hard in the northern United States, closing schools, and offices, and even shutting down the Minnesota Legislature. About 90 churches in western Michigan cancelled Ash Wednesday services, WZZM-TV reported. AP
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Powerful winds were the biggest problem in California, toppling trees and power lines. By Wednesday evening, more than 65,000 customers in the state were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. AP
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A blizzard warning was in effect in California through Saturday for higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, where forecasters said conditions could include several feet of snow blown by 60 metres per hour (96 kilometres per hour) gusts and wind chill could drop the temperature to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius). AFP
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In Wyoming, rescuers tried to reach people stranded in vehicles but high winds and drifting snow created a “near-impossible situation” for them, said Sergeant Jeremy Beck of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Wyoming’s Transportation Department posted on social media that roads across much of the southern part of the state were impassable. AP
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In the Pacific Northwest, high winds and heavy snow in the Cascade Mountains prevented search teams from reaching the bodies of three climbers killed in an avalanche on Washington’s Colchuck Peak over the weekend. AP
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Unexpectedly heavy snow during rush hour sent dozens of cars spinning out in Portland, Oregon, and caused hours-long traffic jams. The regional bus service offered free rides to warming shelters for homeless individuals. AFP
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Additionally, the weather contributed to more than 1,600 US flight cancellations, according to the tracking service FlightAware. More than 400 of those were due to arrive or depart from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Other 5,000-plus flights were delayed across the country. AFP
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The National Weather Service warned of the potential for blinding, wind-whipped snow, especially Thursday afternoon into the night when up to a half-inch (1.2 centimetres) per hour could fall. AFP
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Few places were untouched by the wild weather, including some at the opposite extreme: long-standing record highs were broken in cities in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast. AP
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The storm will make its way toward the East Coast later this week. Places that don’t get snow may get dangerous amounts of ice, forecasters warned. AFP
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