Much of the United States from Kansas to New Jersey was hit by a major winter storm, bringing snow, ice, wind and arctic-like temperatures.
More than a dozen states covering about 60 million people were under severe hurricane warnings, advisories or watches from Sunday night into Monday.
Governors in several states, including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia and Virginia, declared states of emergency.
“Areas between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70, are likely to see heavy snowfall, with a high probability (60-90%) of at least 8 inches. [20 centimeters] The National Weather Service (NWS) posted an X, representing “the heaviest snowfall in a decade”.
Blizzard conditions led to winds up to 45 mph (72.42 kph) in Kansas and Missouri, while the NWS issued a hurricane warning for New Jersey for Monday and Tuesday.
‘Tornado Watch’ for some states
Meanwhile, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas were on “tornado watch,” the NWS said, before the same warning was issued for Mississippi.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear urged residents to “please stay home” after reports of multiple vehicle crashes.
In Virginia, police reported at least 135 crashes as the storm entered the state on Sunday. Some people were reported injured, but no one died.
Police in Missouri said they responded to nearly 600 stranded drivers and 285 crashes.
Air traffic monitoring site FlightAware showed about 2,200 flights canceled and more than 25,000 delayed.
While the storm moves offshore, icy temperatures are expected to persist through Tuesday. Many schools, including public schools in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington and Philadelphia, have decided to remain closed on Monday.
However, Washington DC lies in the storm’s path and severe weather was expected on Monday, when the new Congress is scheduled to meet to officially confirm Donald Trump’s election victory.
jsi/ab (AP, Reuters, AFP)
