Governors spanning from New York to Louisiana have proactively declared states of emergency in anticipation of forecasted severe cold and snow conditions. The National Weather Service bureau in St. Louis has issued a warning regarding the exceptionally rare and potentially "life-threatening" cold.
As a harsh Arctic storm continues to impact various regions with heavy snow, freezing rain, and strong winds, the threat of brutally cold weather on Saturday becomes a significant concern. Political campaigns in Iowa, the leadoff GOP caucus state, have been disrupted due to a blizzard warning covering most of the state, prompting schedule adjustments for figures such as Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and former President Donald Trump ahead of Monday's presidential vote.
Kansas City is poised for near-record cold during an NFL playoff game on Saturday night, where the Chiefs will host Miami. Buffalo, on the other hand, anticipates up to a foot of snow and fierce winds for fans attending the Bills' game against Pittsburgh on Sunday.
The National Weather Service has cautioned that a potent storm will impact the Midwest to the Great Lakes through Saturday, bringing heavy snow, strong winds, and blizzards. Subsequently, dangerously frigid weather is expected across the Rockies and the Plains, while heavy rain in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic raises concerns about river and coastal flooding.
In some areas of the Northeast, flooding concerns have arisen, with emergency responders evacuating residents from their homes in Paterson, New Jersey, as the Passaic River overflowed its banks. The recent and impending storms have heightened flooding worries in Maine and New Hampshire as well.
The temperature plummeted to minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 Celsius) in Bismarck, North Dakota, on Friday morning, with forecasts indicating a potential drop to 20 below F (minus 29 C) by early Sunday.
Freezing rain causing black ice resulted in accidents and brought Kansas City, Missouri, to a standstill. In Portland, Oregon, where icy and snowy conditions are less common, officials declared a weather emergency, opening severe weather shelters for the homeless.
California issued a high avalanche danger warning for parts of the Sierra Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe area, following an avalanche at a ski resort that claimed one life. Similar warnings were issued in Idaho, where an avalanche on Thursday left a man presumed dead.
With every state in the U.S. having an active National Weather Service watch, warning, or advisory, the country is on high alert for storms, winds, floods, blizzards, and avalanches.
Chicago anticipates several inches of snow with gusty winds and wind chills as low as minus 15 degrees F (minus 26 C), prompting frostbite concerns. A suburban Chicago man reportedly died of exposure, marking a tragic cold-related death.
Concerns have been raised for migrants sent to Chicago from the U.S.-Mexico border, especially as temperatures plummet. Advocates and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to pause sending migrants to Chicago during hazardous weather conditions.
The South has also experienced winter's impact, with severe storms reaching across Mississippi on Friday. Governors of Arkansas and Louisiana have declared states of emergency in anticipation of stormy and frigid weather, with subfreezing temperatures expected in New Orleans by next week. Abbott has advised Texans to prepare for icy conditions on Monday.
