Heavy snowfall, wind and cold are causing major problems in the USA the day before Christmas Eve.
More than one million people are without power in several areas, as a result of the storm that is ravaging both the United States and Canada.
Blast cold
On Friday morning, more than 1.3 million people – from Texas in the south to Maine in the northeast – were blacked out. It writes, among others Washington Post.
During the day, almost 1.5 million people were without electricity, writes NTB.
Power outages have also been detected in neighboring Canada. Over 260,000 people have lost power in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
CANCELED: The storm is also causing trouble for the many travelers. The picture is from the airport in Chicago. Photo: Nam Y. Huh/AP
The storm has brought with it strong gusts of wind and cold temperatures. In some places it is bitterly cold, with effective temperatures as low as -40.
In some places in the United States, the population is now experiencing historically low temperatures. In Nashville in the southern state of Tennessee, 0 Fahrenheit, or minus 17 degrees Celsius, was measured on Friday.
The temperature is the lowest recorded temperature in the country town since February 1996.
The temperature at Nashville has dropped to 0°F. This is the lowest temperature to have occurred in the Music City since February 5, 1996, when the temperature dropped to -3°F.
— NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) December 23, 2022
Flight trouble
People are now being asked to take precautions. Over 200 million people – about two-thirds of the US population – have been warned about the cold winter weather. It writes New York Times.
It is expected that the freezing temperatures will continue in the Midwest and in the South, while the worst is yet to come on the East Coast.
Many travelers going home for Christmas have been met by closed departures.
“BOMB CYCLONE”: The storm is causing chaos in the USA. Photo: Scott Olson/AFP
according to CNN More than 3,700 flights were canceled on Friday in the United States. A few hours later, the figure was adjusted up to 4,400 flights, reports the Reuters news agency.
The intense storm is what meteorologists call a “bomb cyclone”. What defines a “bomb cyclone” is how quickly the pressure drops in the low-pressure mass – by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.
– Serious stuff
On highway 402 in Ontario, Canada, more than 50 vehicles are involved in a mass collision on Friday. This is reported by the provincial police on Twitter.
– We strongly advise not to drive now. It is not worth taking a chance on the roads today, they write.
CHAOS: Driving conditions are characterized by slippery roads and poor visibility. The photo is from the mass collision in Ontario, Canada. Photo: OPP West Region
The police have attached several photos of the vehicles that are strewn at the scene.
– This is one of the worst cases I have seen, says the police spokesperson.
At least seven people have died in car accidents as a result of the storm in Kentucky, Kansas and Oklahoma, according to BBC.
– Serious stuff
The storm has also caused problems for the postal service in the middle of the Christmas rush. FedEx is reporting significant disruption due to the weather on Friday, which will cause delays to packages that were supposed to be delivered on Friday or Saturday.
– This is not like the snow days when you were a child. These are serious matters, President Joe Biden has stated.
He urges people to listen carefully to the advice of local authorities.
