US Winter Storm: Extreme Winter Conditions Kill Over 58 People, 100 Million Americans Under Winter Weather Alerts

Extreme winter conditions have killed at least 58 people across 10 states over the past week, according to reports. Amid a massive winter storm and an Arctic blast of cold air, 100 million Americans are under winter weather alerts, including people across the Pacific Northwest, Northern Great Plains, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions.

Some parts of the United States are in a state of deep freeze and some areas are experiencing extreme cold temperatures, accompanied by snow and ice. Since early January 2024, US weather has seen a combination of winter storms and severe thunderstorms, with the latter occurring mostly in the South and Southeast US.

Since then, recurring Arctic blast-driven storms have impacted the country's domestic travel, with reported cancellations and delays of thousands of flights nationwide. The main cause of the travel disruption is low visibility or reduced visibility caused by heavy snow and whiteout conditions. Road traffic movement and public transport were also affected as thick snowfall blanketed several roads.

US Winter Storm Forecast

In its latest US winter storm forecast, the National Weather Service (NWS) is expecting the continuance of ice and snow in the Northwest and is forecasting another round of Arctic blast from the extreme northern hemisphere. This Arctic air could likely impact areas from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic regions with further snow, adding that heavy lake effect snow continues in the Great Lakes region.

The weather service specifies that a Pacific storm will continue to bring freezing rain and dangerous icing conditions, via the Columbia River Gorge and heavy snow across the Washington Cascades. Meanwhile, the looming Arctic blast will spread in most parts of the Central US to the Eastern US. Furthermore, a low-pressure area will produce significant snow from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic.

US Winter Weather Alerts

Winter weather alerts, as mentioned earlier, are affecting almost 30% of the US population, ranging from the West Coast to the East Coast. The continuance of a nationwide winter storm as of Friday, January 19, has prompted local authorities in some areas to issue warnings for dangerous travel conditions, including slippery roads.

In New York, local officials issued a travel advisory on Friday for the risk of low visibility and potential travel delays. As of Friday afternoon (local time), there have been a total of 3,504 flight delays within, into, or out of the US, according to FlightAware. The flight-monitoring website also reported a total of 918 flight cancellations within, into, or out of the US.

Earlier this month, storms associated with the current North American winter season resulted in massive power outages across the eastern half of the US, affecting almost 1 million homes and businesses across 12 states. These winter weather disruptions are in addition to dozens of fatalities caused by the surge of cold air and bone-chilling winter storms.