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Tag: extreme cold

  • Coldest morning in Central Florida in 16 years; flurries fall in some places | Live updates

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    All of Central Florida is facing what is expected to be a record-cold weekend. Flurries have been spotted in several areas, including Mount Dora and New Smyrna Beach. RadarSevere Weather AlertsThe region is under an extreme cold weather warning through Monday, while low temps in the upper teens and low 20s are expected.That’s why WESH 2’s First Warning Weather team has declared Severe Weather Warning Days for Sunday and Monday.Live updates on Sunday7:30 a.m.: Snow flurries reported by Sarasota police7 a.m.: Downed power lines, large brushfire reported in Lake County6:45 a.m.: Flurries spotted in Indian Shores5:20 a.m.: Gulf-effect snow falling near Tampa5 a.m.: Videos sent to WESH 2 show flurries in several parts of Central Florida 3:15 a.m.: Feels-like temps are in the low and mid-teensSaturday live updates 7:30 p.m.: Snow spotted in Ormond Beach7:30 p.m.: Snowflakes falling in Oviedo6 p.m.: Flurries fall in Gainesville5:50 p.m.: Snow spotted in St. Augustine5 p.m.: Snow flurries spotted in Alachua County4:40 p.m.: Huge temperature drop on the way2:30 p.m.: Snow flurries spotted in Tallahassee12:30 p.m.: NWS says gusty winds north and west are already reaching 20-25+ mphExtreme Cold Warning in effect from 7 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday. Volusia CountyLake CountySeminole CountyOsceola CountyIndian River CountySt. Lucie CountyMartin CountyOkeechobee CountyFirst Warning Weather Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.RadarSevere Weather AlertsDownload the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts. The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    All of Central Florida is facing what is expected to be a record-cold weekend. Flurries have been spotted in several areas, including Mount Dora and New Smyrna Beach.

    The region is under an extreme cold weather warning through Monday, while low temps in the upper teens and low 20s are expected.

    That’s why WESH 2’s First Warning Weather team has declared Severe Weather Warning Days for Sunday and Monday.

    Live updates on Sunday

    7:30 a.m.: Snow flurries reported by Sarasota police

    7 a.m.: Downed power lines, large brushfire reported in Lake County

    6:45 a.m.: Flurries spotted in Indian Shores

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    5:20 a.m.: Gulf-effect snow falling near Tampa

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    5 a.m.: Videos sent to WESH 2 show flurries in several parts of Central Florida

    3:15 a.m.: Feels-like temps are in the low and mid-teens

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    Saturday live updates

    7:30 p.m.: Snow spotted in Ormond Beach

    7:30 p.m.: Snowflakes falling in Oviedo

    6 p.m.: Flurries fall in Gainesville

    5:50 p.m.: Snow spotted in St. Augustine

    5 p.m.: Snow flurries spotted in Alachua County

    4:40 p.m.: Huge temperature drop on the way

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    2:30 p.m.: Snow flurries spotted in Tallahassee

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    12:30 p.m.: NWS says gusty winds north and west are already reaching 20-25+ mph

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    Extreme Cold Warning in effect from 7 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday.

    • Volusia County
    • Lake County
    • Seminole County
    • Osceola County
    • Indian River County
    • St. Lucie County
    • Martin County
    • Okeechobee County

    First Warning Weather

    Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.

    Download the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts.

    The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.

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  • How cold will it get in Fort Worth? Cold enough to give you frostbite in minutes

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    Jess Ellison walks Birdie down Magnolia Avenue after getting a coffee from Craftworks Coffee Co. on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021.

    Jess Ellison walks Birdie down Magnolia Avenue after getting a coffee from Craftworks Coffee Co. on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021.


    Amanda McCoy

    amccoy@star-telegram.com

    The extreme cold that North Texas will experience over the next three days is considered life-threatening. It’ll be so cold that you could get frostbite within a matter of just 30 minutes.

    The ice and snow covering the ground Saturday will allow temperatures to plummet, according to the National Weather Service.

    On Saturday night, the lows will be in the single digits and teens across much of the region. Wind chills will drop below zero along the I-35 corridor and to the west.

    If you live northwest of the Metroplex, the low temperature Sunday night will be below zero. In Fort Worth, it’ll drop to about 6 degrees.

    The wind — with gusts up to 25-30 mph — will make it feel as cold as -10.

    This is particularly dangerous for North Texas, which is more used to brief cold snaps. Many families don’t own the kind of cold-weather clothing that can adequately protect you when outdoors. One of the best things you can do is add multiple layers, and definitely wear gloves.

    “Temperatures this cold will lead to frostbite within a matter of 30 minutes,” the NWS says. “Therefore, make sure to stay bundled up with a hat, jacket and gloves if you have to spend time outdoors. Ensure your pipes are properly prepared and that your family and friends (including pets) are taken care of.”

    Here’s a more detailed look at what to expect Saturday through Tuesday in Fort Worth.

    Matt Leclercq

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Matt Leclercq is senior managing editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He previously was an editor at USA Today in Washington, national news editor at Gatehouse Media in Austin, and executive editor of The Fayetteville (NC) Observer. He’s a New Orleans native.

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    Matt Leclercq

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  • Emergency measures enacted as ‘epic’ blast of cold air moves into the Northeast | CNN

    Emergency measures enacted as ‘epic’ blast of cold air moves into the Northeast | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A brutal blast of dangerously cold winds is expected to sweep across the Northeast and New England on Friday, prompting officials to close schools and activate emergency plans as the region braces for record-breaking sub-zero temperatures.

    Frigid air feeling as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit below zero across much of the region will be combined with gusty winds, a nasty double-whammy that could lead to frostbite in as little as 10 minutes in some areas.

    “Temperatures in most regions will likely have their highest temperatures of the day before sunrise as temperatures will fall throughout the day Friday. Strong winds will bring dangerously cold temperatures, with the peak of the cold in the Northeast occurring late Friday to Saturday morning,” CNN Meteorologist Taylor Ward said.

    The severe cold has put more than 15 million people in the region under wind chill warnings or advisories. Wind chill indicates how cold the air may feel, and the weather service issues such warnings when winds are expected to feel as cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit below zero.

    The cold spell is expected to begin subsiding by Sunday when temperatures will likely rise again. In the meantime, officials across several states have begun imploring residents to stay indoors and have ramped up warming center efforts to accommodate some of the most vulnerable to the cold.

    Schools in Buffalo, New York, and at least three districts in Massachusetts decided to cancel classes Friday as a precautionary measure for students and staff’s safety. The city of Boston is also under a cold emergency Friday through Sunday.

    “With extreme weather conditions and many of our students commuting to and from school, walking and waiting for public transportation outdoors, we have made the decision to close for the day,” Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper said in a statement.

    Officials in New York’s Erie County – home to Buffalo – issued a code blue, which allows for those experiencing homelessness to seek shelter overnight when temperatures plummet below 32 degrees. In addition to opening three overnight shelters in the county, there are also daytime warming centers available.

    The extreme cold is moving in on Buffalo weeks after blizzard conditions wreaked havoc on Erie County during Christmas weekend, killing least 39 people. The South is also struggling with a deadly ice storm that made road conditions miserable this week, claiming the lives of at least eight people in two states.

    “Please dress appropriately and don’t go out for extended periods in order to avoid frostbite or hypothermia,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said online.

    In surrounding states, warming centers are expected to be available in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont, officials said.

    All of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are under wind chill alerts. Northern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania and much of New York state outside of New York City and Long Island are also under wind chill threat.

    “Very dangerous wind chills are likely and widespread wind chill warnings and advisories are already in effect for all of New England and parts of the Northeast,” the National Weather Service said Thursday. “The potential exists for numerous record low temperatures Saturday morning.”

    Maine will likely bear the brunt of the storm in terms of longevity as well as severity at times, with more than 70,000 people in the northern portion of the state under blizzard warnings, according to the National Weather Service.

    “Extreme cold and wind producing dangerously low wind chills Friday into Saturday. Blizzard conditions in blowing snow across open areas,” the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine, said.

    Here’s what else is forecast in places with wind chill warnings:

    • Bangor, Maine: Temperatures will begin dropping after midnight Friday and reach their lowest of minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit during the early morning hours Saturday.
    • Boston: The winds will feel as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, with below-zero temperatures lasting from Friday night through Saturday morning.
    • Burlington, Vermont: Temperatures will dip to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, with the coldest winds feeling like 41 degrees below zero.
    • Manchester, New Hampshire: Temperatures will remain below zero beginning Friday evening into Saturday morning, with the coldest being minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest winds will feel like 40 degrees Fahrenheit below zero.
    • Mt. Washington, New Hampshire: The highest peak in the Northeast may face gusts of over 130 mph early Saturday morning. This combined with temperatures of minus 40 degrees or lower will create wind chills as cold as minus 100 degrees.

    Elsewhere, New York City will see single-digit temperatures, with the coldest at 8 degrees Saturday morning. Winds could feel as low as 7 degrees below zero, with Friday night into Saturday being the coldest period.

    Farther south, an ice storm lashed parts of several states including Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee this week.

    Layers upon layers of ice, sleet and freezing rain over the course of multiple consecutive days made driving conditions life-threatening and snapped many tree branches and limbs that eventually knocked down power lines for tens of thousands.

    As of early Friday, more than 250,000 homes and businesses in Texas were still without power following the storm, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us. About 60,000 homes and businesses in neighboring Arkansas were also in the dark.

    The ice storm’s impact on roads made for deadly conditions this week.

    In Oklahoma, two people were killed in separate crashes after they lost control of their trucks on icy roads.

    And in Texas, three people were killed near Brownfield after a driver of a truck lost control Wednesday morning on an icy part of US Highway 380 and rolled into a ditch. The driver and two of his passengers were killed, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

    Another driver died near Eldorado, Texas, after losing control of her truck, the public safety department said.

    One person was killed in a 10-car pile up in south Austin, the city’s fire department said.

    In Arlington, Texas, one person was killed after their vehicle rolled over, police said.

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  • The deadly ice storm crippling much of the South leaves more than 300,000 Texans without power in the frigid cold | CNN

    The deadly ice storm crippling much of the South leaves more than 300,000 Texans without power in the frigid cold | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Treacherous road conditions are now linked to three deaths in Texas as a wave of ice and sleet continues to hammer parts of the southern and central US into the overnight hours.

    A 49-year-old woman was killed this week when she lost control of her truck on an icy road north of Eldorado, the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN on Wednesday.

    Two other deaths were previously linked to the storm that coated Texas cities with sleet or ice. In south Austin, one person died Tuesday morning in a 10-car pileup, the city’s fire department said. Another person died when their car rolled over in the Dallas-area city of Arlington, police said.

    The dangerous conditions are not over. A nasty combination of freezing rain, sleet and accumulating ice are expected hit parts of Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee through at least Thursday morning, forecasters said.

    “Road conditions will be AWFUL after sunset and overnight,” the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said. “DO NOT BE ON THE ROADS.”

    More than an inch of sleet has already piled up in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois since Monday.

    In Texas alone, more than 350,000 homes, businesses and other power customers had no electricity in the frigid cold Wednesday night, according to PowerOutage.US.

    Ice brought down multiple trees and large tree limbs Wednesday, causing power outages across the Austin metro area, the National Weather Service said.

    Dangerous conditions prompted Parkland Health system in Dallas to extend the closure of its clinics on Thursday.

    Here’s what’s on tap in the southern and central US:

    • Texas: The state has seen heavy freezing rain throughout Wednesday, which will continue steadily into overnight across much of northern and central Texas as temperatures remain below freezing.

    • Southern Oklahoma: Freezing rain continues to move across the region and will last through Thursday morning.

    • South-central Arkansas and Tennessee’s Memphis area: An additional tenth- to quarter-inch of ice could pile up through Thursday morning.

    • Across the region: Total ice accumulation of at least a quarter of an inch is likely from West Texas to western Tennessee through Thursday morning. Up to a half-inch could build up in parts of central and north-central Texas and southern Arkansas, the National Weather Service said.

    • Widespread flight cancellations: More than 2,400 flights within, into or out of the US were canceled Wednesday, according to the tracking website FlightAware.

    Jackknifed tractor-trailers blocked Interstate 10 in Reeves County, Texas, on Tuesday.

    In a state not accustomed to heavy ice, a group of Jeep enthusiasts used their vehicles to help stranded drivers.

    The Dallas-based “Carnales Off Road” group regularly supports those in need, founder Jorge Coronilla Muñiz told CNN.

    “It’s not the first time we’ve done this during bad weather. We try to help as often as possible,” Muñiz said.

    Several semi-trucks got stuck on Interstate 20 on Tuesday, and about 30 Jeeps helped tow them.

    “Before we got to I-20, we also helped a few other cars who were stuck on the streets,” Muniz said. “We eventually came across the standstill on Interstate 20 and helped an additional 20 trucks.”

    Muñiz said he and other group members helped stranded motorists from early Tuesday morning all the way until 10 p.m.

    “Everyone was very grateful for our help, especially the truck drivers. Some even asked if we were going to charge them for the help, but we told them we were just there to help.”

    The group is back out on the roads Wednesday and will help medical professionals having difficulty getting to and from work, Muñiz said.

    More than 12 million people across parts of southeastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri, central and eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi and Texas are under ice storm warnings Wednesday.

    The weather service issues ice storm warnings when ice accumulations of more than a quarter of an inch are possible.

    Unsafe travel conditions Tuesday led to hundreds of car crashes across Texas, officials said. Emergency workers responded to people suffering from hypothermia or those injured after slipping on ice. The Texas National Guard is prepared to help stranded motorists, clear roadways and provide welfare checks, Gov. Greg Abbott said. And Texas Parks and Wildlife has at least 30 responders ready for search and rescue operations.

    Meanwhile, a separate storm system will also send temperatures plunging across the Northeast.

    The National Weather Service predicts “dangerously cold temperatures” in the region Friday and Saturday, with freezing cold wind chills that can cause frostbite in just 10 minutes, it said.

    “Limit time outdoors and cover all skin if going out,” the service added.

    The service forecasts wind chills of -20 to -35 degrees Fahrenheit early Friday affecting parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, while Saturday morning could bring wind chills of -60 degrees Fahrenheit across northern New England, the weather service said.

    Leaders across states including Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine were coordinating resources ahead of the extreme weather and setting up warming centers, according to messages from the governors.

    “Temperatures this weekend will be extremely – and dangerously – cold across the state,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a Tuesday news release. “Please take extra precautions, be careful if you go outside, and be sure to check on your family, friends, and neighbors to make sure they are okay.”

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  • A prolonged winter storm delivers power outages, snarled travel and frigid temperatures on Christmas Day | CNN

    A prolonged winter storm delivers power outages, snarled travel and frigid temperatures on Christmas Day | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A nearly weeklong winter storm blasting much of the US has plunged temperatures to life-threatening lows, brought blizzards and floods, and left more than a quarter million people without power on Christmas Day.

    Blizzard conditions continue across the Great Lakes, while frigid cold temperatures grip the eastern two-thirds of the US, with some major cities in the Southeast, Midwest and East Coast recording their coldest Christmas in decades.

    Large areas of the central and eastern US remain under wind chill warnings and advisories, as freeze warnings are in effect across the South.

    New York City saw record cold temperatures on Christmas Eve at several locations, including its JFK and LaGuardia airports. The high at Central Park was 15 degrees, marking its second-coldest December 24 in at least 150 years, according to the National Weather Service.

    At least 22 deaths have been attributed to dangerous weather conditions since Wednesday, and some residents in the Northeast are spending the holiday without sufficient heat or hot water as extremely cold temperatures persist.

    Across the US, 275,856 homes and businesses in the US had no electricity service as of 1 a.m. ET, many of them in Maine and New York, according to PowerOutage.us. Since the start of the storm the number of outages has at times exceeded a million customers.

    A power grid operator for at least 13 states in the country’s eastern half asked customers to conserve power and set thermostats lower than usual from early Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday because usage was straining capacity.

    The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves about 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and warned rolling blackouts could happen if the strain becomes too much.

    In New York, utility companies Con Edison and Natural Grid US also urged customers to conserve energy, citing extreme weather conditions and increased energy demand on interstate pipelines carrying natural gas into the city.

    Meanwhile, a shortage of electricity in Texas prompted the US Department of Energy to declare an emergency Friday, allowing the state’s energy provider to exceed environmental emissions standards until energy usage drops.

    In Jackson, Mississippi, frigid temperatures are hampering efforts to repair a large water main break late Saturday, which has caused a loss in water pressure for residents, city officials said.

    “We are grateful to the crews who are braving these frigid temperatures on this Christmas Eve night, while working to restore pressure to residents. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and is appreciated not only by this administration, but also by every resident who is affected,” the release stated.

    The brutal weather conditions have also snarled travel during the busy holiday weekend, with more than 5,000 flights canceled Friday, more than 3,400 flights canceled Saturday, and more than 1,000 canceled for Christmas Day.

    Conditions on the road weren’t any better in parts of the country amid whiteout conditions and icy and snow-covered roadways.

    In New York’s Erie County – which is seeing blistering blizzard conditions – about 500 motorists found themselves stranded in their vehicles Friday night into Saturday morning, despite a county driving ban put in place during the storm, according to County Executive Mark Poloncarz.

    National Guard troops were called in to help “rescue people that are stuck in vehicles,” and to give rides to medical workers so they could relieve colleagues who had been working at hospitals for more than a day, Poloncarz said.

    In Seattle, Washington, online videos have documented cars sliding on the icy roads and bumping into each and residents slipping as they walked on sidewalks, CNN affiliate KOMO reported.

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she will ask the federal government for a declaration of emergency after a blistering winter storm.

    “I’ll be asking the federal government for a declaration of emergency that’ll allow us to seek reimbursements for the extraordinary expenses of all the overtime and the fact that we brought in mutual aid from other parts of the state,” Hochul said to reporters Saturday. “We’ve deployed individuals – the utility crews have come but also making sure that we have all the vehicles we need.”

    New York’s three storm-related deaths were reported in Erie County. Two died in separate incidents Friday night when emergency medical personnel could not get to their homes in time for medical emergencies, Poloncarz said Saturday morning. Details about the third death, confirmed by a county spokesperson Saturday afternoon, weren’t immediately available.

    “The loss of two lives in Buffalo – storm related – because people were not able to get to medical attention, is again a crisis situation that unfolds before your eyes and you realize that lifesaving ambulances and emergency medical personnel cannot get to people during a blizzard situation,” Hochul added.

    Other storm-related deaths have been reported in the country. They include:

    • Colorado: Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building possibly looking for warmth, and another in a camp in an alleyway.

    • Kansas: Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Kansas Highway Patrol said Friday.

    • Kentucky: Three people have died in the state, officials have said, including one involving a vehicle accident in Montgomery County.

    • Missouri: One person died after a caravan slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said.

    • Ohio: Eight people have died as a result of weather-related auto accidents, including four in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 75, when a semi tractor-trailer crossed the median and collided with an SUV and a pickup, authorities said.

    • Tennessee: The Tennessee Department of Health on Friday confirmed one storm-related fatality.

    • Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Patrol on Thursday reported one fatal crash due to winter weather.

    In pictures: Winter storm impacts the US


    The storm system is forecast to gradually weaken as it lifts into southeastern Canada, moving slowly during the next couple of days and pulling arctic air from Canada down into much of the eastern side of the country.

    The Arctic blast being felt across the eastern two-thirds of the nation will slowly moderate into Monday, but dangerous conditions will persist Christmas Day.

    The cold temperatures combined with dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers who become stranded, people who work outside, livestock and pets, according to the National Weather Service.

    “In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes,” the Weather Service warned.

    As the frigid air continues to blast the warm waters of the Great Lakes, lake-effect snows and blizzard conditions are expected to continue, but slowly become less intense.

    Still, strong gusty winds initially up to 60 mph accompanying the snow downwind from the Great Lakes will continue to make for extremely dangerous conditions on the road.

    By Christmas night into Monday, another low pressure system coming from the Pacific will deliver the next surge of moisture toward the Pacific Northwest and then into northern California, according to the Weather Service.

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  • More migrants dropped outside vice president’s home in freezing weather on Christmas Eve | CNN Politics

    More migrants dropped outside vice president’s home in freezing weather on Christmas Eve | CNN Politics

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    CNN
     — 

    Two busloads of migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, DC, on Christmas Eve in 18 degree weather, a law enforcement source told CNN. The source said there was no one from any organization or aid group on the ground to receive them in front of the Naval Observatory, where the vice president’s home is located.

    “It looked like they had to call either family members or somebody else to come and pick them up, but they were standing out there, shivering with blankets for the last five to 10 minutes,” the law enforcement source said.

    A separate administration official confirmed the arrival and said law enforcement has estimated that approximately 50 more migrants are inbound and expected late Christmas Eve, likely after 10 p.m. ET. The initial two busloads were taken to local shelters, according to the official.

    It’s not clear who is responsible for sending the migrants to the Naval Observatory, though CNN reported earlier this year that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had sent buses of migrants north, including to a location outside Harris’ home.

    Abbott is one of at least three Republican governors who have taken credit for busing or flying migrants north this year to protest the Biden administration’s immigration policies. He previously confirmed in September that his state had sent the buses to Harris’ residence at that time.

    This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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  • A least 9 dead as massive winter storm leaves more than a million without power and bitter cold across much of US | CNN

    A least 9 dead as massive winter storm leaves more than a million without power and bitter cold across much of US | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A massive winter storm battered the US on Friday with frigid temperatures, high winds and heavy snow, leaving at least nine people dead, knocking out power to over a million customers and wrecking holiday plans from coast to coast.

    The storm – expected to intensify throughout Friday as it barrels through the Midwest and East – is making for grim road conditions with poor visibility and ice-covered streets. Coastal flooding is also an issue, particularly along the shorelines of the Northeast.

    All modes of travel – planes, trains and automobiles – were being disrupted: There were hundreds of miles of road closures and flight cancellations were growing rapidly. In New York, flooding along the Long Island Rail Road forced part of the Long Beach branch to temporarily shut down.

    Related: Follow live updates

    “Christmas is canceled,” said Mick Saunders, a Buffalo, New York, resident who was two hours into blizzard conditions that are expected to last through Sunday morning. “All family and friends agreed it’s safer this way.”

    At least 9 deaths have been reported since Wednesday.

    In north-central Kansas, three people were killed in separate car crashes on Wednesday evening; one death was confirmed to be weather-related, and two were believed to be weather-related but need more investigation, according to Kansas Highway Patrol spokesperson Lt. Candice Breshears.

    In Kansas City, one person died after losing control of their Dodge Caravan on icy roads Thursday afternoon, according to the Kansas City Police Department. “The Dodge went down the embankment, over the cement retaining wall and landed upside down, submerged in Brush Creek,” police said in a statement.

    In Kentucky, three people died due to the storm, including two in vehicle crashes and the other a “housing insecure” person in Louisville, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The man’s body was found outside with no obvious signs of trauma and an autopsy would determine the cause of death, police said.

    And in Ohio, four people have died “as a result of weather-related auto accidents” and several others have been injured, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.

    Life threatening cold has pushed all the way to the Gulf Coast and the Mexican border, with below zero wind chills reported as far south as Austin and Atlanta. Many locations in the eastern US are in for their coldest Christmas Eve in decades as the Arctic blast reaches its peak.

    About 1.2 million customers in the US are experiencing power outages amid the winter weather and frigid temperatures, according to the website PowerOutage.US. Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania have the most outages.

    In pictures: Winter storm impacts the US


    In all, more than 200 million people in the US were under wind chill alerts from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and from Washington state to Florida, with below-zero wind chills expected in the Southeast by Friday. Other winter weather alerts are in effect for blizzard conditions, ice, snow as well as flooding.

    “The National Weather Service’s Watch Warning graphic depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” the agency said Thursday.

    Notably, parts of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming have already seen wind chills below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the past two days.

    The entire state of Texas was seeing temperatures below freezing by early Friday afternoon, according to weather observations from around the state.

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents about the “epic, statewide hazard” of winter weather.

    “I called it a kitchen sink storm because it is throwing everything at us but the kitchen sink,” Hochul said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “We’ve had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures, and everything that mother nature could wallop at us this weekend.”

    For Brian Trzeciak, the storm was “living up to the warnings” at his home in Hamburg, New York. Buffalo’s airport, just to the north, reported zero visibility shortly after noon on Friday.

    “Whiteout conditions, frigid temperatures, and the waves are like what you would see during a hurricane,” he told CNN.

    He and his family decided to cancel their Christmas plans because of the dangers from the storm.

    “My mother lives about 30 minutes away and so does my sister and her family, in the other direction,” he said. “We always get together for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but we’re all hunkering down in our houses until it all stops on Monday.”

    Driving bans are in place in Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Orleans counties in Western New York because of whiteout conditions.

    As many as 250 people could be stranded in their cars in Erie County in a situation that Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said put first responders at unnecessary risk. Brown told CNN Friday night that forecasts call for 36 to 48 inches of snow. The area has had wind gusts of 79 mph.

    Many will experience a cold holiday unlike any other: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tallahassee, Florida, are all forecast to have their coldest high temperature ever recorded on December 24, according to the National Weather Service.

    Washington DC is forecast to see its second coldest Christmas Eve, only behind 1989. In New York, it will be the coldest Christmas Eve since 1906. Chicago is expecting temperatures to rebound above zero, but will still experience its coldest Christmas Eve since 1983.

    Much of Florida will experience the peak of their cold on Christmas Day. It will be coldest Christmas Day since 1983 for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and West Palm Beach.

    On Friday, the storm unleashed more heavy snow and blizzard conditions, particularly in the Midwest.

    As it treks east across the country, the storm is expected to become a “bomb cyclone,” a rapidly strengthening storm which drops 24 millibars of pressure within 24 hours. The storm’s pressure was forecast to match that of a Category 2 hurricane as it moved into the Great Lakes on Friday morning.

    Governors in at least 13 states, including Georgia and North Carolina in the South, have implemented emergency measures to respond to the storm. Declarations of a state of emergency in several states have included the activation of National Guard units.

    More than 5,400 Friday flights have already been canceled as of 7:30 p.m. ET, after nearly 2,700 cancellations on Thursday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

    • It will remain very cold: Friday will bring record-low temperatures in large swaths of the US, including from the Lower Mississippi Valley, northeastward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and stretching across large sections of the east from the Southeast, through the Southern to Central Appalachians and into the mid-Atlantic, according to the National Weather Service.

    • Dangerous wind chills: The plummeting temperatures will be accompanied by high winds, which will create dangerous wind chills across nearly all the central to eastern US.

    • Blizzard warnings: The Upper Midwest will see frigid temperatures, heavy snow and high winds. The warning applies to parts of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Michigan. Buffalo, New York, will go under a blizzard warning Friday morning. Such warnings go in effect when snow and wind of 35 mph will reduce visibility to less than a quarter of a mile for at least three hours.

    • Whiteout conditions: Blizzard conditions may exist even if snowfall stops, because high winds can pick up snow already on the ground and cause low visibility.

    A separate storm system is bringing heavy mixed precipitation to the Pacific Northwest on Friday.

    A winter storm warning is in effect for western Washington, including Seattle, until 7 p.m. PST Friday. Additional snowfall of up to 2 inches is possible and ice accumulations could reach a quarter of an inch. Precipitation will begin as snow and transition to sleet/freezing rain and then finally to rain. More power outages are likely and travel will be made very difficult.

    The ice caused the closure of runways at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where nearly half of flights going into and out of the airport were canceled, according to FlightAware. Further, all express services for Sound Transit, a regional transportation network in the Seattle metro area, were suspended Friday due to the icy conditions.

    A winter storm warning is also in effect for northeastern Oregon, including Portland, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. PST. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of .2 to .4 inches is likely as well as winds gusting to 55 mph. Wind chills as low as zero are possible, and frostbite is possible on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

    One of the biggest dangers of the massive winter storm besides heavy snow and blizzard conditions is the rapid drop in temperatures over a short period of time. The air will continue to get and feel colder, especially during night hours.

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  • More Heart Disease Deaths on Very Hot, Very Cold Days

    More Heart Disease Deaths on Very Hot, Very Cold Days

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    Dec. 13, 2022 — Extremely hot and extremely cold days are tied to an increase in the risk of death from heart disease, a new study suggests. 

    People with heart failure were most at risk when temperatures were extremely hot or cold.

    Climate change, which is linked to substantial swings in extreme hot and cold temperatures, is likely a key culprit, according to lead study author Barrak Alahmad, MD, PhD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. 

    “Investigating the burden of extreme temperatures from now on will enable us to further understand what climate change might hold for cardiovascular risks,” he says. “In this rapidly changing climate and unprecedented pace of warming, it is not the time to be asleep at the wheel.”

    No specific temperatures are considered extreme, Alahmad notes. “Heat and cold are context-specific and location-specific.” For example, a 104 F day in Kuwait is a typical summer day, whereas a 104 F day in London resulted in “widespread, incalculable damage.”

    For the study, published Dec. 12 in the journal Circulation, the researchers looked at more than 32 million cardiovascular deaths over 4 decades in countries around the world. They compared cardiovascular deaths on the hottest and coldest 2.5% of days in each city with cardiovascular deaths on the days with optimal temperatures. 

    The relative risks of death increased gradually for cold temperatures, but somewhat faster for hot temperatures – especially for heart failure, where the risk in extremely hot weather climbed quickly to as much as 12% higher, according to the analysis.

    Extremely cold temperatures appeared even more dangerous. They were associated with a 33% greater risk of dying from ischemic heart disease (caused by narrowed arteries); a 32% greater risk of death from ischemic strokes caused by blood clots in the brain; and a 37% greater risk of dying from heart failure. 

    Overall, extreme temperatures accounted for 2.2 additional deaths per 1,000 on hot days and 9.1 additional deaths per 1,000 on cold days.

    The results were similar even after the researchers adjusted for temperature variability, heatwaves, long-term trends, relative humidity, and air pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter.

    Protect Your Heart

    American Heart Association expert volunteer Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of Atria New York and a professor at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, says everyone needs to take steps to stave off the effects of climate change.  

    To protect your heart on extremely hot and cold days, “avoid outdoor activities,” she advises. “If you must go out for an appointment on a very cold day, remember to bundle up, wear gloves, and a hat and a scarf that covers your mouth. Keep your outdoor time to a minimum.” 

    “On hot days, do not exercise outdoors, stay indoors as much as possible, and stay hydrated,” she says.

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  • Burst of cold air: Here is who will see freezing temperatures this week | CNN

    Burst of cold air: Here is who will see freezing temperatures this week | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, the CNN Weather Brief, which is released every Monday. You can sign up here to receive them every week and during significant storms.



    CNN
     — 

    Winter is coming for many this week, with the first significant snow of the season for some, and freezing temperatures for millions of others.

    It was just last week we were talking about cute fall temperatures, and now someone has flipped a switch to winter. This will be – by far – the coldest air of the season to this point.

    So brace yourself, as I am planning to do.

    “Afternoon highs today will definitely feel cold!” the National Weather Service office in Nashville said.

    Along with temperatures running 15-25 degrees below normal for much of the East, winds will be strong, making it feel even colder. Nashville will only get into the mid-50s to right around 60 today, with a bone-chilling wind chill.

    Atlanta will be colder than New York City on Tuesday, with highs only making it to the low 50s.

    Tuesday night will be even colder, with lows in the 20s as far south as portions of Arkansas and Tennessee.

    “Tuesday night will be the coldest night … with all locations expected to be below freezing,” the weather service in Nashville said. “Even Nashville metro should freeze.”

    CNN Weather

    The Weather Prediction Center said many cool daytime high and overnight low temperature records could be broken because of the cold air Monday and Tuesday.

    “This may be the first freeze of the season for many places across the Central Plains, Middle Mississippi Valley and Ohio/Tennessee Valleys which will impact sensitive crops/livestock,” the Weather Prediction Center said.

    Here are some major cities expecting lows below freezing this week:

    • Kansas City
    • St. Louis
    • Memphis
    • Nashville
    • Atlanta

    See how low the temperatures will drop where you live.

    In the Upper Midwest, there will be even bigger impacts. A winter storm warning is in effect for portions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin, where 4-8 inches of snow could fall through Wednesday.

    However, it won’t be shocking to see an isolated area or two get as much as a foot of snow with the potent early-season system.

    “Guidance continues to indicate potentially historic early-season snowfall across the eastern UP, which when combined with northerly winds to 50 mph and lingering fall foliage could result in widespread power outages,” the weather service in Marquette warned.

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