Winter storms leave 89 dead across US as chill settles over Great Lakes and Northeast
A downed power line killed three in Oregon as northeast braces for more snow
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At least 89 people have been killed across the country over the past two weeks as severe weather plagues the United States, according to an updated count by CBS News.
The most winter weather-related deaths have occurred in Tennessee after a truck spun out of control due to snowy conditions, causing it to slam into a tractor-trailer.
The governor of Oregon declared a state of emergency as its state is being pelted with freezing rain and winter storms that have led to fallen trees, massive power outages and at least 16 deaths.
Two adults and one teenager died after a power line fell onto a car in northeast Portland on Wednesday morning following a severe storm in Oregon. Officials also found an uninjured two-year-old on the scene whom they took to the hospital.
Now, several inches of lake-effect snow is hitting the Great Lakes region and northeast US, while arctic temperatures settle over the southeast US.
In Florida, meteorologists say low temperatures could impact wildlife, leading to a rare weather-related phenomenon: falling iguanas.
The severe winter storms have also unleashed travel chaos across the country, leading to thousands of flight cancellations and delays across the country.
Washington, DC may see up to 2 inches of snow Friday morning
Washington, DC and nearby Baltimore could see up to 2 inches of snow on Friday morning, the National Weather Service forecasts.
That precipitation could bring more closures to the region as the NWS warns of a hazardous commute tomorrow morning. Earlier this week, several nearby school districts closed and federal offices shut down for the day for the time in two years after about 3 inches of snow blanketed the capital.
Oregon recovering from damaging ice storm
This week’s ice storm in Oregon resulted in four times as many calls to Portland Fire and Rescue, Rick Graves, public information officer with Portland Fire & Rescue, told Fox Weather.
“That ice is weighing down, be it power lines to trees or branches of trees and causing significant issues,” Mr Graves told the outlet. “The myriad of emergencies that our organization is responding to is continuous and it’s widespread.”
Three people were killed and an injured two-year-old was taken to the hospital after a downed power line fell onto a car yesterday in Portland.
Meanwhile, trees toppled by ice accumulation fell onto houses and caused widespread property damage. 40,000 people are still without power from this week’s storm, according to PowerOutage.us.
ICYMI: Ground temperatures matched cloud temperatures in a rare moment this week
In a rare event, ground temperatures in the interior of North America were similar to cloud top temperatures, according to Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.
That rarity came amid a blast of arctic air in the Pacific Northwest and midwest earlier this week.
How can you protect yourself from winter weather dangers?
An arctic blast brought sub-zero wind chills to much of the country this week, posing various hazards and dangers to impacted communities.
Several deaths from hypothermia have been reported across the US, and cold temperatures can mean dangerous, icy roads for travellers.
Extreme cold also disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, such as infants, the elderly, people with a chronic illness, outdoor workers, and unhoused people, according to the National Weather Service.
Read more from Juan A. Lozano on what public safety officials say you can do to keep yourself safe:
How can you protect yourself from winter weather dangers? Experts offer tips
The arctic blast of winter weather that is gripping much of the US this week is also bringing with it various hazards that people have to contend with to keep warm and safe
Mid-South to see wintry precipitation and dangerous road conditions today
Wintry precipitation is set to hit the mid-South today, particularly impacting Tennesee and Kentucky.
That could mean both snow and freezing for the region as temperatures hover just below freezing. Officials are warning residents to stay off the roads when possible.
“If you must go out today, we recommend doing so this morning before the wintry mix arrives this afternoon,” officials with the Nashville, Tennessee National Weather Service posted on X. “Freezing rain is not something to try to drive with! Plus, many secondary roads still have snow from the previous system.”
The winter weather has already contributed to several deaths in the region.
Seven people are dead in Tennessee after extreme winter weather hit the state earlier this week, The Tennesseean reported.
One man in White County, Arkansas died after crossing the centre lane while driving and crashing into a tree on Sunday, according to police records. Roads throughout the state were unsafe at the time due to snow and ice. Officials in Mississippi also said that one person had died while driving on Highway 49 just south of Silver City at around 8 pm local time on Sunday.
The region should expect some relief by early next week as temperatures climb into the 40s and 50s, officials with the Louisville, Kentucky National Weather Service said.
Air travel chaos appears to alleviate this week
Air travel has been a disaster for people flying into, out of or within the US over the past several days as winter storms hit nearly every region of the US.
However, yesterday’s delays and cancellations were at their lowest in several days. On Wednesday, only 6,131 flights into, out of or within the US were delayed while 1,189 were cancelled, according to FlightAware. Those numbers are an improvement from earlier this week when travellers were impacted by 20,000 delays and nearly 6,000 cancellations across Monday and Tuesday.
But with another round of snow to hit the midwest and northeast this Friday, both air and road travel conditions could very well drop again this weekend.
ICYMI: Keep away from downed power lines, official says after three die in Oregon
An official in Oregon has warned that people should not go near downed power lines after three people were killed in the region on Wednesday.
Portland Fire and Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves said if a powerline comes down on a vehicle, occupants should stay inside and call 911 unless there is “imminent danger.”
The car’s rubber tires will block the current, he added.
“In all likelihood, had they stayed in the vehicle, we might not have been having this conversation,” Mr Graves continued.
An ice storm that left Portland covered in a quarter-inch of ice caused power lines to fall and trees to topple throughout the region, causing fatalities, property damage and dangerous road conditions.
Highest and lowest temperatures in the US yesterday were more than 100 degrees apart
The lowest and highest temperatures recorded in the US on Wednesday morning were 111 degrees apart, according to the National Weather Service.
Monticello, Kentucky hit -22F (-30C) yesterday morning, while Atlantis, Florida hit 89F (31C).
See stunning satellite footage of ice storm over Pacific Northwest
A winter storm blew across the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, covering Portland, Oregon in a quarter-inch of ice.
Now, stunning satellite imagery from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University shows the storm’s path across the western US.
Oregon power outages improving following disastrous ice storm
37,000 people are without power in Oregon as of Thursday afternoon following a powerful ice storm that hit the state earlier this week, according to PowerOutage.us.
This marks a stark improvement from earlier this week when more than 80,000 people were without power. Accumulating ice caused trees to topple into power lines, as well as power poles to collapse.
Complications from the storm killed several people, including three who died after exiting their car when a power line fell on top of it.
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