A historic winter storm sweeps across the United States. Temperatures drop to minus 48 degrees. Several states have declared states of emergency.
The mega winter storm sweeping across the USA is also causing problems for the country's infrastructure. The authorities said that almost 1.5 million households were without electricity, at least temporarily. Countless roads were closed on Christmas Eve due to heavy snowfall or dangerous icy conditions, resulting in fatal car accidents. Millions of US citizens had to cancel or change their travel plans for the festival.
The US weather service NWS spoke of a "historic" event. The temperatures have now fallen to as low as minus 48 degrees Celsius. The size of the Arctic cold front is also exceptional. It stretched from the Canadian border in the north to the Mexican border in the south. Several states declared states of emergency, including New York, Oklahoma and Kentucky.
Around 5,500 flights were canceled by Friday evening for weather reasons, with the airports in Seattle, New York, Chicago and Detroit being particularly affected. Almost 9000 flights were delayed. The airports in Chicago and Detroit are among the most important hubs in the country. Traffic came to a complete standstill on many roads.
More than 200 million people had received severe weather warnings on the day before Christmas. Initially, the north and central west of the country were particularly affected. But there were also warnings of extreme frost in states in the south of the country. During the night of Saturday, the storm shifted more to the eastern part of the USA. "Dangerous cold" is expected for the holiday weekend, the US weather service warned. Some states, including New York, have declared a state of emergency.
"I'm asking everyone not to hit the streets tonight as conditions will worsen as temperatures continue to drop across the state. Wrap up warm, stay indoors and take care of yourself this weekend," exclaimed the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, the residents. US media, citing weather experts, warned of the possible emergence of a special and severe storm, a so-called "bomb cyclone".
Values around minus 45 degrees Celsius were measured in the states of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming. According to meteorologists, temperatures in Denver, Colorado, fell by around 40 degrees within 24 hours as the Arctic cold front passed through. "This is not like a childhood snow day," President Joe Biden warned.
