The United States is experiencing a severe winter storm that is creating dangerously low temperatures, power outages, and travel difficulties, including flight cancellations and road closures.
Snow, ice, and freezing rain are spreading from Texas to New England. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), these conditions could last for several days and may be life-threatening. The storm has already claimed lives. The cold claimed the lives of two people in Louisiana and one in Texas. Officials are warning people to stay warm and check on others, especially those without heating.
By Sunday afternoon, more than one million homes and businesses were without electricity. Ice and heavy snow brought down power lines and damaged trees. The impact on travel has also been severe. Over 10,000 flights were cancelled across the country, leaving many passengers stranded. Roads are extremely slippery, and hundreds of crashes have been reported, including more than 200 in Virginia.
Ice is one of the biggest dangers. Freezing rain sticks to roads, cars, and power lines, making driving very unsafe and slowing repair work. Some states, such as Kentucky, are seeing more ice than expected, which worries local leaders.
Many states have declared emergencies. Schools are closed in large parts of the country, and even the US Senate delayed its work because of the storm. City and state leaders are asking people to stay indoors and avoid travel unless it is necessary. In Washington DC, officials say it is the biggest snowstorm the city has seen in ten years.
Southern states like Texas and Louisiana, accustomed to cold winters, find this level of cold unusual. Temperatures there have dropped far below normal. Experts say the storm was caused by a shift in the polar vortex, which allowed very cold Arctic air to move south. The cold weather is expected to continue into early February.
