On Sunday, millions of Americans were on high alert as a massive winter storm, fueled by a polar vortex, descended on the nation, expected to dump record-breaking snowfall and usher in the coldest temperatures seen in over ten years. States like Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Virginia have preemptively declared states of emergency in anticipation of the storm’s wrath, which began its journey through the central U.S. and is now moving eastward. Even southern regions such as Mississippi and Florida have issued warnings for dangerous conditions, as reported by the National Weather Service.
This polar vortex, a frigid zone of low pressure swirling around the Earth’s poles, occasionally wobbles, sending icy tendrils southwards over North America. As it advances, nearly 60 million people across 30 states, stretching from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic, find themselves under weather alerts. Over the next three days, a growing low-pressure system hints at the potential for heavy snow and severe ice conditions.
Travel disruptions
On Saturday, Kansas City International Airport faced temporary closure as crews worked tirelessly to clear the runways, causing delays in several flights, including a charter plane carrying the Kansas City Chiefs, the Associated Press reports. More complications arose as a significant segment of Interstate 70 in Kansas was shut down due to the looming threat of up to 14 inches of snow and gusty winds reaching 40 mph.
The National Weather Service forecasts historic levels of snowfall for parts of Kansas and Missouri, predicting over 15 inches to blanket regions from northeastern Kansas into north-central Missouri—the heaviest in a decade. "Significant disruptions to daily life" are in the cards, the NWS warns, including "dangerous or impossible driving conditions and widespread closures," leaving travel difficult through Sunday.
Preparations have already begun in cities like Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis, where roads are being treated and warming centers established. As the Northern Plains experienced scattered snow showers on Saturday, by Sunday morning, more than 2 million people in Kansas and Missouri were under a blizzard warning, which signals sharply reduced visibility and strong winds.
The storm brings with it the threat of severe weather across the lower Mississippi Valley, potentially affecting around 7 million people with risks of tornadoes, harmful winds, and hail, particularly in areas such as Jackson, Mississippi, and cities in Louisiana like Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lake Charles.
With the storm pushing eastward, Americans brace for unprecedented low temperatures, forecasters caution. Snow is anticipated to hit the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachian regions overnight, extending into Monday morning and gradually tapering off by Tuesday as the system moves offshore. Major cities along the Eastern seaboard, such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, are gearing up for a wintry mix, with parts of Virginia expecting to be blanketed with 5-12 inches of snow.
Southern states, usually unaccustomed to such severe weather, could see thunderstorms due to extreme cold, affecting places like Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Nationwide on Saturday, weather-related disruptions caused close to 7,000 flight delays. Denver International Airport, in particular, faced significant setbacks, leading globally in delays as nearly half of its Saturday flights were postponed, FlightAware indicates. Major airlines have responded by waiving change fees in anticipation of further disruptions.
In the aftermath, temperatures across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. are expected to plunge, with highs destined to drop 10 to 25 degrees below the norm from Sunday through Friday. The plains and Midwest might see highs only in the teens, whereas the mid-Atlantic and Northeast will experience temperatures in the 20s to 30s. The northern Plains braces for the most severe cold, with overnight temperatures plummeting to minus 20 and wind chills hitting a bone-chilling minus 40. Cold weather advisories extend from eastern Montana through Minnesota.
