Massive winter storm hits the U.S. with heavy snow, freezing rain, and bitter cold
Massive Winter Storm 2025: A powerful and destructive winter storm began to hit the central United States on Saturday (January 4). From the Plains to the East Coast, millions of Americans will face the threat of blizzards, heavy snow, and dangerous freezing rain, and the impact is expected to continue into next week.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of severe weather and major travel delays with ice, snow, and high winds from the central Plains to the mid-Atlantic states.
Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, and Virginia have declared states of emergency and issued hazardous weather advisories.
“The storm is still developing, but it will bring multiple dangers, from heavy snow in the Plains to severe icy roads farther south,” Rich Bann, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center, said Saturday evening.
Bahn added that over 60 million people in the United States were under winter weather warnings, watches, or advisories this weekend.
According to the NWS, parts of New York and eastern Pennsylvania are facing “lake-effect snow” from the Great Lakes, with possible amounts of up to 2 feet (61 centimeters).
Stretching eastward from Nebraska and Kansas into Ohio, Indiana, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northwestern Virginia, states are expected to see between 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) and 1 foot (30 centimeters) of snow, potentially bringing down power lines and widespread power outages.
Southern Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee will be hit by freezing rain, ice, and snow on Sunday (January 5). Roads are expected to become dangerous, and power lines may be damaged by freezing, Ben said.
“Driving in some areas will become almost impossible,” he said.
Kansas City International Airport in Missouri was temporarily closed Saturday afternoon due to rapid ice accumulation.
As the jet stream moves south, temperatures are expected to plummet, dropping below 0°F (-18°C) in some areas, with strong winds adding to the danger.
Conditions in the Appalachian Mountains could be particularly dangerous as many communities are still recovering from the impact of a deadly hurricane that struck several southeastern states in late September, AFP reported.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at an emergency meeting that the new storm “could cause significant damage to roadways, hazardous driving conditions, and widespread power outages ahead of the arrival of severe cold weather.”
Benn said the storm is expected to pass over the East Coast and enter the Atlantic Ocean late Monday (January 6), but by the middle of next week, a new round of Arctic air will bring severe cold to the eastern two-thirds of the United States.
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