A significant snowstorm causes schools and airports in the Midwest of the United States to be closed.
More than 50 million people in the United States were warned about the winter weather.
CHICAGO: A significant winter storm that hit the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Wednesday caused hundreds of schools to close, grounded flights, and made travel challenging, if not impossible, in some parts of the US.
As the storm moved across a sizable portion of the western and northern United States and into the East on Wednesday morning, more than 50 million Americans were under winter weather advisories. In some areas, the National Weather Service predicted winds of up to 60 miles per hour and snowfall of up to 2 feet (60 cm) during the day and into Thursday.
Around 17 inches (43 cm) of snow, 45 mph (72 kph) wind gusts, and temperatures around 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 C) punished people going about their daily lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Bre Bethke, 37, a manager at M.B. Haskett Delicatessen, said after being pelted by the harsh weather each time she opened a drive-through window for a waiting customer, “It’s really cold, but people still want their coffee and eggs.”
“To escape the cold, our regulars want to come here. But today, definitely not. This is excessive.”
Additionally, the storm battered California and brought snow and sleet to the East, including New England, where forecasters advised drivers to be cautious of slick roads.
According to Frank Pereira, a forecaster with the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, ice-covered power lines and falling trees could result in power outages late on Wednesday and into Thursday. Snow-covered roads will also make travel hazardous in the Upper Midwest.
Travel will be practically impossible, he predicted.
According to experts, extreme heat and dry spells, interspersed with increasing numbers and intensities of these storms, are signs of a changing climate. According to the weather service, the Northern Plains have had an extreme winter in terms of snowfall and temperatures, in contrast to the East Coast’s relatively mild winter.
Minneapolis was one of the Midwest’s hardest-hit cities. There was expected to be whiteout conditions due to the 20 inches (50 cm) of snow and the 45 mph (72 kph) winds.
At a press conference, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter stated, “We are bracing for what is likely to be one of the largest snowstorms in Minnesota history.”
Emergency situations were declared in Minneapolis and the neighbouring city of St. Paul, and drivers were advised to stay off the roads.
More than 29,000 students will attend classes remotely the rest of the week, according to the Minneapolis school system. Numerous school districts in the Dakotas, Colorado, and Wyoming called off classes.
The storm had a disastrous impact on morning flights. According to Flightaware.com, 3,500 flights were either delayed or cancelled across the country, including 470 flights into and out of Minneapolis.
According to the weather service’s Pereira, it also produced a band of freezing rain that stretched from central Iowa through Chicago and into southern Michigan, coating roads, trees, and power lines with up to a 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) of ice.
Tuesday saw the storm make landfall in California, and it was predicted to last until the end of the week. The first warning from the weather service since 1989, a rare blizzard was issued for the mountains in Los Angeles County.
