More than 40 million Americans brace for freezing temperatures as an Arctic blast will sweep across a dozen states from Idaho to Michigan.
Nearly 900 flights have been grounded as the severe snowstorm and arctic winds that swept across the Northern Plains and upper Midwest over the weekend continue.
Temperatures are expected to drop to 40°F below average in the coming days.
The crippling weather bomb will see a freezing gust of wind over the nation’s northern plain that could cause frostbite after just 10 minutes of exposure.
Millions face bitter Arctic winds in the coming days as falling temperatures will affect over a dozen states
The National Weather Service issued the wind chill advisory due to a “prolonged and potentially significant” freezing weather front as ice accumulation is expected in at least 15 states stretching from the Northern Plains to the Tennessee Valley.
States affected by the severe weather warnings include regions of Texas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana.
“Total amounts of freezing rain could become significant in parts of central Texas, southwest Oklahoma, central Arkansas and western Tennessee where ice formation in excess of a quarter of an inch is forecast,” the channel said.
“Also, there is a low to moderate chance of a three-day ice gain greater than half an inch over portions of central Texas and Arkansas.”
Parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and west Tennessee are expected to be under the ice storm warning beginning Monday night, and travel in the region could be “almost impossible” by Wednesday afternoon.
After a month marked by above-average temperatures and mild weather for much of the nation, falling temperatures will be the rage for millions in the coming days
By Tuesday, the freezing weather front will extend south into parts of Texas and Oklahoma, including Austin and Dallas.
Oklahoma City is expected to hit up to an inch of snowfall alongside bitter freezing winds and freezing conditions, while Springfield, Missouri, will see up to an inch of snow and sleet.
“Snow will reduce visibility and snow/ice will create dangerous driving conditions,” the weather service warned.
Dozens of states will be under weather warnings through Wednesday, with freezing rain and sleet hitting east Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, possibly causing isolated flash flooding.
Several Texas school districts have shut down amid winter weather warnings, while hundreds of flights were canceled from north Texas airports Monday following the arrival of arctic weather in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The travel chaos is expected to sweep across a dozen states as gusty freezing winds and heavy snowstorms are forecast for the week
Over the weekend, several states were blanketed in snow as wintry weather hit, leaving Colorado’s mountainous regions with nearly a foot of snow.
Areas of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Colorado and northern Utah will continue to experience light to moderate snowfall through Monday.
The central Appalachian regions will also be hit with more snowfall, which will spread northeast in the coming days as New England will see up to seven inches of snow by mid-week.
States like Washington, Minnesota and Illinois have all been caught up in the Arctic storm already, with lows averaging well below -15°F in many areas.
The piercing temperatures will feel even colder as the weather front will bring freezing -45F wind gusts at up to 30mph over affected states.
Severe weather conditions will continue east through the week, with Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston all expecting sub-zero temperatures.
“Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills are forecast across the northern plains and upper Midwest through early next week,” the Climate Prediction Center said over the weekend.
Numerous states have been placed under wind chill alerts, which could result in another week of travel chaos
The blizzard resulted in the death of one person Sunday when the storm caused a 40-car pile-up on a Wyoming highway
The incoming freezing weather front is expected to cause further travel chaos after icy roads and poor visibility hit Wyoming over the weekend
Another horrific road accident was caused by the Wisconsin arctic blast over the weekend, which left at least 25 people hospitalized amid a massive 85-car pile-up
“Expect well below normal temperatures in the central/northern plains through the interior parts of the Pacific Northwest for the weekend through early next week.
“This would be the coldest weather since Christmas for this region, with locations from eastern Montana to northern Minnesota likely to remain below zero Saturday through Monday and perhaps Tuesday.
“Wind chills could drop below 40 degrees in these areas at times. Elevations ranging from 0 to 10 degrees may extend to northeastern Colorado and northern Kansas.’
After a January marked by clear weather and mild temperatures for many, the frost front can come as a shock.
Chicago and Kansas City both average over nine degrees warmer than normal in January, while Minneapolis and Oklahoma City are more than six degrees above average.
the The drastic postponement is expected to cause severe travel chaos in over a dozen states, particularly due to icy roads and strong winds.
Treacherous travel conditions are expected to continue throughout the week in the Midwest, with temperatures falling to -14F in Des Moines and -23C in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
The travel chaos already led to the death of a person in Wyoming on Sunday A severe snowstorm resulted in a devastating 40-car pile-up.
A large portion of Interstate 39/90 in Wisconsin was also closed Friday afternoon after wintry conditions led to a horror pile-up involving 85 cars.
At least 25 people were hospitalized after the collision, which investigators confirmed was at least partly due to the freezing weather.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11692765/More-40-million-people-face-crippling-icy-temperatures-today-Arctic-blast-grips-15-states.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Ice storm warning as over 40 million Americans brace for frigid weather
