Winter Storm Blair latest: Seven states declare emergencies as 63 million hit by arctic blast and travel chaos
Hundreds of flights have been canceled throughout the US amid the dangerous winter storm
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Your support makes all the difference.An arctic blast is battering the southern US as a brutal winter storm blows from the Ohio River Valley to the mid-Atlantic on Sunday overnight into Monday.
The storm has disrupted travel, bringing heavy snow, ice and wind to the eastern two-thirds of the US. Hundreds of flights have been canceled across airports in the Midwest, and officials in several states are pleading with residents to keep off the roads unless there’s an emergency. Widespread power outages are likely.
“For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade,” the NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center said in a statement.
Meanwhile, arctic air is blowing into the southern US, bringing single-digit “feels like” temperatures to much of Texas and causing officials to issue a freeze watch in Florida.
Severe thunderstorms are also barreling through the Mid-South, prompting tornado watches in areas of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas Sunday afternoon.
Many states, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia, issued states of emergency ahead of the storm. Washington, D.C. is also under a snow emergency alert as of Sunday afternoon.
“This winter storm will likely cause significant disruption and dangerous conditions on our roads and could cause significant power outages – just 24 hours before it gets dangerously cold,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in a statement.
Power outage update: Kansas improves as Missouri numbers rise
As a winter storm pummels the Central Plains region, thousands are expected to lose power due to heavy snow and ice.
In Kansas, just over 6,000 customers are without power, an improvement from the 10,000 reported this morning.
Meanwhile, Missouri has more than 20,000 customers without power, up from 15,000 this morning.
In pictures: Kansas hit with blizzard-like conditions
Pictures roll in as snow blasts midwest
Pictures are rolling in from the midwest as snow and ice blast the region.
Kansas police post humorous warning to stay off roads
The Lawrence, Kansas Police Department issued a humorous warning on X telling residents to stay off the roads as a winter storm pummels their region.
“The crash reports haven’t stopped, but they’ve slowed significantly,” the department wrote. “Precipitation is not currently falling, and traffic has lightened substantially (finally).”
“THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE ROADS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, ALAN. Keep your suburbitank in the driveway and turn up the fireplace.”
Missouri officials issue plead with residents to avoid non-emergency travel
Missouri officials are imploring residents to avoid non-emergency travel until tomorrow as snow and ice pelt the region.
“Drivers need to avoid traveling until conditions improve sometime on Monday,” Missouri Department of Transportation Chief Safety and Operations Officer Becky Allmeroth, according to local outlet KMBC.
“For the remainder of this weekend, travel should be limited to emergencies only,” Allmeroth added. “These difficult conditions will also delay response times for our crews and emergency response partners.”
The National Weather Service issued a similar warning.
“Again, PLEASE STAY HOME IF AT ALL POSSIBLE,” the agency’s bureau in Kansas City wrote on X. “Or at very least use EXTREME caution.”
Missouri airports lead nation in flight cancelations
Two airports Missouri — where more than 16,000 people are already without power as a winter storm blasts the Central Plains — are leading the country in flight cancelations, according to FlightAware.
Airlines have canceled 218 flights to and from St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Another 191 flights to and from Kansas City International Airport were also canceled as of Sunday morning.
These airports have canceled more flights than any other airport in the US today, FlightAware data shows.
Officials have warned that air travel could be disrupted and road travel could become highly dangerous due to heavy snowfall and ice from the storm, which will reach the mid-Atlantic late Sunday or early Monday.
Thousands already without power as storm begins rampage
More than 25,000 people are already without power across Kansas and Missouri, according to PowerOutage.us, as a winter storm hits the Central Plains before heading toward the mid-Atlantic.
Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska could see winds over 40 mph and up to 15 inches of snowfall today, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, up to 14 inches of snow could hit northeast Missouri through the Central Appalachians.
Arctic air to impact millions, reaching as far south as Florida
Freezing air from the Arctic will hit the eastern two-thirds of the US, the Associated Press reports, bringing strong and frigid wind chills to millions of people.
This Arctic blast will even impact Florida, according to the AP.
“The wind chills are going to be brutal,” Woodwell Climate Research Institute climate scientist Jennifer Francis told the outlet.
This wind could make for the coldest January in the country since 2011, Accuweather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said.
This winter storm is expected to make road travel particularly dangerous, bringing heavy snowfall and ice to several states.
What to expect as winter storm pummels much of US
A “major winter storm” bringing “significant snow and ice” across the Central Plains and mid-Atlantic regions will strike today through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska could see winds over 40 mph and 15 inches of snowfall today. Meanwhile, up to 14 inches of snow could hit northeast Missouri through the Central Appalachians.
A “substantial area” of freezing rain is also expected from Kansas through the Central Appalachians today.
The mid-Atlantic region, including the major metro areas of Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will see the worst of the storm tonight through Monday.
Brutal winter storm stretches from Central Plains to mid-Atlantic
A winter storm will barrel across the US today and Monday, bringing up to a foot of snow along with ice and rain to millions.
Some 70 million people are under some kind of weather alert this morning as the storm ramps up. Dangerous travel conditions and power outages are expected as the system moves from the Ohio River Valley to the East Coast late Sunday into Monday.
“For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade,” the NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center said in a statement.
Follow along for live updates from The Independent.
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