WASHINGTON – A dangerous winter storm that covered the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions in snow started to ease by Tuesday morning, leaving bitter cold temperatures behind. Tens of thousands were still without power and closures persisted as the storm passed through. The storm affected a wide area from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey, bringing heavy snow and ice and leading to emergency declarations. Daily snowfall records were broken in several states in the central and eastern U.S.
The heavy snow caused widespread school closures and federal office buildings in Washington, D.C., remained closed on Tuesday due to snow accumulation. The inclement weather also impacted the schedule of Tuesday’s funeral events honoring former President Jimmy Carter. Treacherous driving conditions and airport delays and cancellations were reported due to the snow and ice. Major highways like I-70 were closed, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded in blizzard conditions.
Over 200,000 homes and businesses from Missouri to Virginia were without power on Tuesday morning, down from over 280,000 outages the day before. Many affected areas were experiencing wind chills below zero, with cold weather advisories in place.
Key Points:
-Flights departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were grounded on Tuesday morning due to snow and ice.
-The weather caused a 90-minute delay for a service honoring former President Jimmy Carter in the Capitol Rotunda.
-Several states across the U.S. saw significant snowfall, with preliminary totals in cities like Washington, D.C., Topeka, and Kansas City.
Looking ahead, forecasters predict another storm bringing snow and ice from Texas eastward, potentially impacting cities not accustomed to such weather. The path of this next storm is uncertain, but it could affect areas in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and New England. Residents in Richmond, Virginia, woke up to a boil water advisory following a power outage at the city’s water treatment plant due to the winter storm.
Water pressure is expected to return to residents’ faucets within four to six hours as water tanks are being filled up by water management personnel. However, caution is advised due to significant water damage sustained by the plant.
Richmond has not faced a boil water advisory since Hurricane Isabel in 2003, according to the city’s statement. In response to the current situation, the local sheriff’s office has collaborated with various agencies, including the American Red Cross, to provide bottled water to the homeless population in the city.
In Louisville, Kentucky, firefighters from Quint 9 of the Louisville Fire Department were seen shoveling snow in front of their station on January 5, 2025. Heavy snowfall followed by freezing rain and ice accumulation was forecasted for the area.
School closures were widespread across the central and eastern United States on Tuesday as snow and ice continued to pose travel hazards. Several school districts in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. remained closed for a second consecutive day. While many schools planned to conduct classes online, for some students, Monday was scheduled to mark their return after winter break.
Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses woke up without power on Tuesday morning in the wake of the winter storm. Virginia reported the highest number of outages with 62,000, followed by Kentucky with 33,000, West Virginia with 33,000, Indiana with 32,000, Illinois with 23,000, and Missouri with 19,000 outages, according to PowerOutage.us.
Bitter cold temperatures exacerbated by high winds settled across the Mid-Atlantic region on Tuesday morning, prompting weather officials to advise residents to seek warmth. The weather service office in Blacksburg, Virginia, warned about 40 mph wind gusts potentially causing heating difficulties in areas affected by power outages.
Flight operations continued to be impacted by cancellations and delays due to the winter storm. As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, over 130 flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. were canceled, with the airport closing its runways temporarily on Monday night for snow removal and prevention of refreezing. At Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, at least 110 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware. LaGuardia Airport in New York City reported delays averaging 40 minutes due to windy conditions, as per the Federal Aviation Administration.
The winter storm has been linked to several deaths across the Midwest since it swept through the region last weekend. In Sedgwick County, Kansas, two individuals lost their lives in a weather-related crash, while a man in Mound City, Missouri, was fatally struck by a sliding truck, as reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In Greenfield Township, Pennsylvania, the State Police are investigating a fatal crash involving a Transportation Department plow truck over the past weekend.
The frigid temperatures and mass power
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