US (Washington Insider Magazine)—An Arctic air mass continued to sweep across the U.S. on Monday, delivering a bitter cold blast that has set record-low temperatures and disrupted daily life nationwide, including an NFL playoff game and the presidential nominating contest in Iowa.
From Oregon on the West Coast to New York on the East Coast and down to Florida, millions of Americans are facing the impacts of this severe weather system.
Election season kicks off in frigid Iowa
The National Weather Service reported that wind chills are expected to plunge temperatures to as low as -30°F (-34°C) from the northern Rockies to northern Kansas and into Iowa. This extreme cold tested the resilience of caucus-goers who braved the elements on Monday, leading to warnings about frostbite risks for those venturing outside.
Tragically, Arctic storms have resulted in at least four fatalities, knocked out power to tens of thousands in the Northwest, and brought snow to southern regions, while the Northeast faced blizzard conditions that forced the postponement of the NFL playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills in Buffalo, New York.
Sub-zero wind chills will grip much of the country, plummeting to -50°F (-45°C) in Montana and the Dakotas. “It takes a matter of minutes for frostbite to set in,” cautioned the South Dakota Department of Public Safety in a statement urging people to stay indoors.
Widespread disruptions across the country
Regions from the Rockies to the Ohio Valley could see temperatures drop 25 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit below normal. In Texas, where temperatures have dropped significantly, the state’s power grid operator urged residents to conserve electricity due to a “record-breaking demand” for energy. Unlike the deadly freeze in 2021, which left millions without power, state officials expressed confidence in the grid’s reliability this time.
The southern plains and southern Appalachians are also expected to experience freezing rain. Even Florida isn’t immune, with forecasts predicting showers and thunderstorms from Monday into Tuesday.
In Oregon, over 120,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity, primarily in the Portland metro area, due to high winds and a mix of snow and ice that brought down trees and power lines. Tragically, around 100 trees fell over the weekend in a community just south of Portland, resulting in the death of a man when a tree crushed his house. Two other fatalities were linked to suspected hypothermia, and a fourth person died in a fire caused by an open-flame stove after a tree fell on an RV.
Widespread power outages affected tens of thousands across Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In Nebraska, the Omaha Public Power District also asked customers to conserve electricity to avoid outages.
Air travel severely impacted
Airports across the country were significantly affected by the weather, with more than half of the flights into and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport canceled. Scores of flights were also delayed or canceled at airports in Chicago, Denver, and Seattle-Tacoma.
As the frigid weather persists, authorities continue to advise residents to take precautions and stay safe during this unprecedented cold snap.
