Over 11,000 flights cancelled as massive winter storm threatens to paralyze US
As a powerful winter storm continued its relentless march across the country, more than 11,000 flights were grounded over the weekend due to treacherous weather conditions. The National Weather Service has issued widespread warnings for heavy snow and catastrophic ice, with roughly 140 million people under a watch.
The storm system is expected to leave a trail of destruction in its wake, with forecasters warning that damage could rival that of a hurricane. Temperatures are expected to plummet, and the slow melting of snow and ice will hinder any recovery efforts, leaving residents without power for days on end.
"It's not just the snow, it's the ice," said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "The snow and ice will be very, very slow to melt and won't be going away anytime soon, and that's going to hinder any recovery efforts."
The Texas Department of Transportation reported images of snow-covered highways in the suburbs north of Dallas, as crews worked to keep up with the growing number of stranded motorists. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, ice had formed on roads and bridges in a third of counties.
Residents across the South are bracing for the worst, with governors declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. "If you live in the Midwest and travel in the winter, stuff can happen," said Angela Exstrom, who was forced to cancel her Saturday flight from Houston due to a cancellation.
As the storm system makes its way into the Northeast, temperatures are expected to drop precipitously. The weather service predicts about a foot of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, with winds reaching minus 29 degrees in rural areas of upstate New York.
In Georgia, officials warned that the state could get "perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade" followed by unusually cold temperatures. Crews are working to treat highways with brine, but it's unclear whether they will be enough to keep the roads safe.
The Midwest is experiencing its own brand of winter weather, with wind chills reaching minus 40 degrees and frostbite risks high. Utility companies are bracing for power outages as ice-coated trees and power lines continue to fall long after a storm has passed.
"It's like nothing you've ever seen before," said Colin Cross, who bundled up in multiple layers just to leave his apartment building. "I've been here awhile and my brain stopped working."
As a powerful winter storm continued its relentless march across the country, more than 11,000 flights were grounded over the weekend due to treacherous weather conditions. The National Weather Service has issued widespread warnings for heavy snow and catastrophic ice, with roughly 140 million people under a watch.
The storm system is expected to leave a trail of destruction in its wake, with forecasters warning that damage could rival that of a hurricane. Temperatures are expected to plummet, and the slow melting of snow and ice will hinder any recovery efforts, leaving residents without power for days on end.
"It's not just the snow, it's the ice," said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "The snow and ice will be very, very slow to melt and won't be going away anytime soon, and that's going to hinder any recovery efforts."
The Texas Department of Transportation reported images of snow-covered highways in the suburbs north of Dallas, as crews worked to keep up with the growing number of stranded motorists. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, ice had formed on roads and bridges in a third of counties.
Residents across the South are bracing for the worst, with governors declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. "If you live in the Midwest and travel in the winter, stuff can happen," said Angela Exstrom, who was forced to cancel her Saturday flight from Houston due to a cancellation.
As the storm system makes its way into the Northeast, temperatures are expected to drop precipitously. The weather service predicts about a foot of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, with winds reaching minus 29 degrees in rural areas of upstate New York.
In Georgia, officials warned that the state could get "perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade" followed by unusually cold temperatures. Crews are working to treat highways with brine, but it's unclear whether they will be enough to keep the roads safe.
The Midwest is experiencing its own brand of winter weather, with wind chills reaching minus 40 degrees and frostbite risks high. Utility companies are bracing for power outages as ice-coated trees and power lines continue to fall long after a storm has passed.
"It's like nothing you've ever seen before," said Colin Cross, who bundled up in multiple layers just to leave his apartment building. "I've been here awhile and my brain stopped working."
I'm not surprised they're cancelling that many flights, winter storms can be super unpredictable. I've experienced it personally when I was stuck at home for a day because of heavy snow in NYC last year 
. It's crazy how quickly things can turn from "just a little snow" to "we're talking hurricane-force winds and blizzard conditions". The fact that people are being urged to stay home is just good sense - it's not worth risking your life for work or school when you can just wait it out 
. And yeah, the slow melting of snow and ice will definitely make recovery efforts a nightmare... like, who needs a power outage in subzero temps?! 
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i mean, i guess it's better than being stuck at home with no power... like that's not already happening anyway 
It's not just the snow, it's the ice 
. Temperatures are going to plummet and recovery efforts will be super slow because of all that frozen stuff 
. I feel so bad for everyone who's getting stranded or stuck without power 
. The Midwest and South are taking it pretty hard, but at least they're prepared with brine on the roads 
. I'm just gonna stay inside and enjoy my hot cuppa 
️ while the storm rages on outside!
They're saying it's gonna take days to recover from this thing? Days?! That's just brutal. And don't even get me started on the ice, slow melting and all that. It's like they're saying "good luck" to everyone in the South. 
Guess times have changed. Anyone else stuck at home with nothing to do?