MMore than 200 million Americans are facing the coldest Christmas in decades. Meteorologists predicted snow storms of up to 112 kilometers per hour, especially in the Great Lakes region. In some areas, higher wind speeds were reported on Friday morning (local time).
On Mount Washington, for example, the highest peak in the northeastern United States, winds blew at speeds of over 150 km/h. In Montana, temperatures have already dropped to minus 46 degrees Celsius. Snow drifts over ten feet high in South Dakota.
According to the FlightAware website, airlines canceled more than 5,000 flights on Friday. More than 1.4 million connections have been without power, as documented by the PowerOutage website.
According to media reports, at least 17 people died, most of them in traffic accidents. Traffic came to a complete halt on many roads. In Kansas City, Missouri, a driver died after his car slid into a river Thursday. Michigan police reported several incidents Friday, including a backlog.
Meteorologists have warned of a „bomb cyclone” over the Great Lakes near the border with Canada, which occurs when barometric pressure in an area of low pressure drops unusually quickly. The result is wild blizzards – blizzards – and temperatures dropping by tens of degrees in just a few hours.
The bitter cold will move east from the central United States. Cold warnings will affect more than 200 million people in the coming days, about 60 percent of the population. And President Joe Biden also warned that it wouldn’t be a snowy day like we had as kids: „This is dangerous.”
In many parts of the country, authorities were worried about possible power outages. They strongly recommended that precautions be taken to care for the elderly, the homeless and livestock and – if possible – avoid travel.
Railroad company Amtrak has suspended its Midwest travel on more than 20 trips through the end of Christmas. In Detroit, authorities said nearly 170 people were staying at an emergency shelter and warm-up facility designed for 100 people Friday morning.
In Montana, the Elk Park mountain pass recorded -46 degrees Celsius. The local Minnesota weather service warned against travel. „This event could be life-threatening if stranded in strong winds and temperatures between minus 30 and 45 degrees,” he explained. Police reported dozens of accidents and vehicles off the road.
In neighboring South Dakota, the hydraulic fluid in cleaning equipment froze at minus 40.5 degrees Celsius, meaning it could no longer cope with meter-high snowdrifts. On Wednesday, rescuers reached people trapped in their homes in 15 rescue operations and now have to stop working, chief of operations Robert Oliver said. The equipment is simply not enough to weather this weather.
Buffalo, New York State, notorious for its snowfall, was forecasting its worst blizzard in living memory. Meteorologists expected winds of up to 112 kilometers per hour and heavy snowfall on Friday. Mayor Byron Brown declared a state of emergency on Friday and called on residents to stay home if possible.
The area is affected by the lake effect, in which cold air draws in over the still relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, absorbs moisture and dumps it back to the ground as snow.
The blizzard made it difficult to obtain propane and firewood for people in remote areas. „It’s a little scary for us here, we feel kind of isolated and alone,” said Kansas regional representative Sean Purdue, who was running low on propane.
Due to wintry conditions, many flights were canceled in Canada on Friday, and schools were closed in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Everything was given clear with the aim of Santa Claus. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it does not expect blizzards and severe North American winter weather to affect Santa’s global flight path. The joint Canadian-US facility has been known to track alleged Santa’s movements.
For the rest of the year, the organization is responsible for monitoring air and space and warning North American nations about attacks using ICBMs. NORAD representative Lt. Gen. David Nahum said the pandemic hasn’t affected Santa’s busy delivery schedules, and he doesn’t expect the weather to be affected this weekend either. He said that the freezing temperatures and heavy snow affecting travel across the United States shouldn’t be a problem for a man living in the Arctic.