By Patrick Whittle and Brian Witte
The Associated Press
A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central U.S. on Jan. 5, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.
Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help any motorists who were stuck. At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour (72.42 kilometres per hour). The warning extended to New Jersey for Jan. 6 and into early Jan. 7.
“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said early Jan. 5.
About 63 million people in the U.S. were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch or warning on Jan. 5, according to Bob Oravec with the National Weather Service.
The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the U.S., Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south.
Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.
Snow and ice in the forecast
In Indiana, snow fully covered portions of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 41, prompting Indiana State Police to plead with motorists to stay off the roads as plows worked to keep up with the pace of the precipitation.
“It’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again,” Sgt. Todd Ringle said.
Part of I-70 was closed in central Kansas by the afternoon of Jan. 4. Roughly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow had fallen in parts of the state, with snow and sleet totals predicted to top 14 inches for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri.
Parts of upstate New York saw 3 feet (0.9 meters) or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Jan. 5.
The storm was then forecast to move into the Ohio Valley and reach the Mid-Atlantic states on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7, with a hard freeze expected as far south as Florida.
Car wrecks start as storm hits
The National Weather Service warned that road travel could be “very difficult to impossible.”
By Jan. 5, dozens of car accidents had been reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his police car was hit on Interstate 65.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency ahead of the storm, said state buildings would be closed Jan. 6.
“We see far too many wrecks out there for people that do not have to be on the roads, so I want to ask: Stay inside. Stay safe with your family. Let the road crews do their work,” the governor said in a video posted to social media. “We want to make sure that nobody gets hurt and everybody gets through this safely, so please look out for each other.”
Governors in Missouri and Arkansas also declared states of emergency.
Air and rail travel also snarled
The storms also caused havoc for the nation’s railways, leading to numerous cancellations. More than 20 cancellations were planned on Jan. 5, 40 for Jan. 6 and at least two for Jan. 7.
“If local authorities are telling people not to travel, it’s counterintuitive to try to run a full slate of services when people are being told to stay home,” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said. “Likewise, we know our people are going to have trouble getting in to work.”
The Midwest was hit especially hard. A train between Chicago and New York and several regional trains between Chicago and St. Louis were among those canceled Jan. 5.
Nearly 200 flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport were canceled, according to tracking platform FlightAware.
Temperatures dip, though no records break
Starting Jan. 6, the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) below normal.
In Chicago on Jan. 5, temperatures hovered in the teens (minus 7 to 10 Celsius) and around zero in Minneapolis, while dropping to 11 below in International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian border.
The Northeastern states are more likely to experience several days of cold following what has mostly been a mild start to winter, said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. A plume of cold air coming down from Canada is likely to result in a cold but dry week, he said.
The cold air will likely grip the eastern half of the country as far south as Georgia, Palmer said, with parts of the East Coast experiencing freezing temperatures and lows dipping into the single digits in some areas.
Wind might also pick up as the week gets going, making for potentially dangerous conditions for people exposed to the elements for long periods of time, Palmer said.
Disruptions extend southward
The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches (about 20 to 30 centimeters) of snow for the Annapolis, Maryland, area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend.
In a statement on X, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency late Jan. 3 ahead of the storm and encouraged residents to vote before the state’s special elections on Jan. 7.
Similar declarations were issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and in central Illinois cities.
Classes canceled
School closings were likely to be widespread Jan. 6. Districts in Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky were already announcing cancellations and delays the afternoon of Jan. 5.
Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics Jan. 6 for its nearly 100,000 students. The day would have been students’ first one back after winter break.
“This is a traditional snow day with no online learning,” the district announced.
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Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment
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Associated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York, Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri, contributed. Witte reported from Annapolis, Maryland. Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.
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