snowstorm in U.S: 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 several parts of the US.
As the storm rolled 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 certain areas, the National Weather Service predicted gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and snowfall of up to 2 feet (60 cm) over the day and into Thursday.
Over 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, remarked after being pelted by the harsh weather each time she opened a drive-through window for a waiting client, “It’s terribly cold, but people still want their coffee and eggs.”
“To escape the cold, our regulars want to come here. But not today, no way. This is excessive.”
Meanwhile, the storm battered California and sent snow and sleet to the East, including New England, where forecasters advised drivers to be cautious of slick roadways.
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.
According to experts, excessive heat and dry spells, interwoven with increasing numbers and intensities of these storms, are signs of a changing climate. The weather service reports that while the East Coast has had a comparatively moderate winter, the Northern Plains have had a particularly harsh one in terms of temperatures and snowfall.
Minneapolis, one of the Midwest’s hardest-hit cities, was predicted to experience whiteout conditions due to the expected 20 inches (50 cm) of snowfall and 45 mph (72 kph) gusts.
At a press conference, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter stated, “We are prepared for what is likely to be one of the greatest snowstorms in Minnesota history.”
Emergency situations were proclaimed 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 courses remotely the remainder of the week, according to the Minneapolis school system. several school districts
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 created a zone 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 through the end of the week. The first warning from the meteorological service since 1989, a rare snowstorm was issued for the mountains in Los Angeles County.