A powerful winter storm has made its way across the United States, impacting millions of residents from the Central Plains to the East Coast. The storm, which began over the weekend, brought heavy snow, ice, and sleet, breaking several local snowfall records and causing widespread disruptions.
As of Monday morning, approximately 200,000 people were without power across multiple states, according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks outages. The storm’s effects were particularly severe in the Midwest, with parts of Kansas seeing up to 18 inches of snow in Chapman and 14 inches in Topeka. Topeka recorded its largest snowfall since 1993, and Kansas City received 11 inches, marking a record for the city.
The storm’s impact extended beyond snow, as significant ice accumulation from sleet and freezing rain occurred in southern Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, with some regions seeing up to half an inch of ice accumulation. This ice covered roadways, creating hazardous travel conditions and further complicating recovery efforts.
Around 60 million Americans across 18 states, from the Dakotas to Delaware, were under winter weather alerts as of Sunday, with forecasts predicting that the storm would continue into Monday, moving eastward and bringing snow to areas like Missouri, Ohio, and New Jersey.
Cities like Cincinnati set new snowfall records, with 5 inches of snow on January 5, the largest amount for that date in the city’s history. Meanwhile, the storm’s effects were expected to persist through the day, impacting local infrastructure and potentially hindering transportation, as well as complicating power restoration efforts.
This major winter storm serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by extreme weather events during the winter months, as communities continue to face disruptions from heavy snow and ice, with more winter storms potentially on the horizon.
Image by ArturGórecki from Pixabay
