(Mission) Road conditions deteriorated Saturday across the central United States, as a winter storm brought a mix of snow, ice and plunging temperatures, and forecasts called for the dreaded combo to will spread eastward in the coming days.
“Winter is here again,” said Bob Oravec, chief forecaster at the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
The polar vortex of very cold air generally remains locked around the North Pole, spinning like a top. But it sometimes escapes or spreads to the United States, Europe or Asia, and that’s when a lot of people experience severe cold.
Studies show that the rapidly warming Arctic is partly responsible for the increased stretching or drift of the polar vortex.
Heavy snow was expected Saturday evening between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70, where there was a high chance of at least 8 inches of snow. Part of the highway was closed in central Kansas in the afternoon.
The storm was then expected to move toward the Ohio Valley, where severe traffic disruptions were expected. It will reach the Mid-Atlantic states Sunday and Monday, with severe frost expected as far away as Florida.
Severe thunderstorms, with the possibility of tornadoes and hail, were also possible ahead of the storm system’s cold front as it moves through the Lower Mississippi Valley, the National Weather Service warned.
Transportation disruption
A fire truck, several tractor-trailers and vehicles overturned west of Salina, Kansas. Trucks also jackknifed and landed in ditches, State Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner said.
He posted a video showing his boots sliding on the asphalt of the highway like on an ice rink. “We’re in it now,” added Mr. Gardner, as he drove to the scene of an accident.
Freezing rain in Wichita, Kansas, sent authorities to the scene of several accidents this morning. Police urged drivers to stay home if possible and watch out for emergency vehicles.
The governors of neighboring Missouri and Arkansas declared a state of emergency. Whiteout conditions threatened to make driving dangerous or impossible, forecasters warned, and increase the risk of getting stranded.
Kansas City International Airport temporarily halted flight operations in the afternoon due to ice. Dozens of flights were delayed, including a plane carrying the Kansas City Chiefs, before the runways reopened.
“The work will continue overnight to keep the airfield clear,” stressed the mayor, Quinton Lucas, in a message published on X.
Prepare to weather the storm
Stores in Wichita were filled with customers shopping in anticipation of the storm, and warm-up stops were opened at churches and libraries.
Several businesses have closed in the Kansas City area, and the suburban Independence, Mo., school district said it may have to cancel classes for one or more days.
“It will be a major headache,” said Tom Kines, meteorologist at AccuWeather. The storm not only carries a threat of snow, but also ice. » Power outages could be significant, particularly south of the Kansas City area, he added.
Starting Monday, the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience bitter cold and strong winds, forecasters say. Temperatures could be 7 to 14 degrees Celsius below normal as the polar vortex expands from the High Arctic.
In Chicago on Saturday, temperatures hovered between -7 and -10 degrees Celsius and around -18 degrees Celsius in Minneapolis, while dropping to -25 degrees Celsius in International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian border.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Friday evening ahead of the storm and noted it could impact people’s ability to vote in the state’s special election Tuesday. In a statement on X, he encouraged residents to vote early Saturday before bad weather arrives.
In Baltimore, a severe weather alert was issued, asking agencies to provide shelter and assistance to those in need.
