Winter storm Elliott – latest: Driving ban lifted in Buffalo as blizzard deaths hit 38
Buffalo region worst affected in US with at least 38 deaths after blizzard dumped 50 inches of snow on city
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Your support makes all the difference.One of the coldest Christmases in modern memory has left more than 60 people dead across the US, with 38 people killed in and around the city of Buffalo, which was hammered by over 50 inches of snow.
Nearly a week after the extreme blizzard, the driving ban in Buffalo was lifted on Thursday, although motorists have been advised to be careful around snow-removal equipment and at intersections.
“Hundreds of very large pieces of equipment will still be out clearing streets from curb-to-curb,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz warned in a tweet.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Poloncarz confirmed three additional deaths, marking the deadliest storm in western New York in at least two generations.
National Guard went door to door conducting welfare checks in neighbourhoods that lost electricity. As the city continues to dig out of the storm, the death toll is expected to climb further.
Beyond New York state, winter storm Elliott’s icy bite also saw temperatures plunge to record lows in parts of Montana, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, and wrought havoc on Christmas travel plans.
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’?
ICYMI: Strong winds and sub-zero temperatures are causing chaos across the US, with millions without power and thousands stranded on Christmas.
At least 18 people have been killed during storm Elliot and forecasters are now warning of a ‘bomb cyclone’ – but what does that mean?
Louise Boyle has more.
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’? US facing winter weather warning
An Arctic blast is bringing extreme cold, blizzard conditions and high winds to much of the US this week
VIDEO: Passengers trapped on Via Rail trains running between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto
Family set up GoFundMe after Buffalo man died on street in frigid temperatures
ICYMI: William Clay, 56, who was also known as Romello, reportedly froze to death on a Buffalo street on his birthday.
“Hi My Name is Sophia. I am the sister of the gentleman that lost his life during the 2022 Blizzard on 12/24/2022. My brother unexpectedly lost his life on his Birthday. I am humbly asking for donations to bury my brother. And amount will be greatly appreciated,” the GoFundMe states.
Power issues, falling trees, and car crashes cause deaths as winter storm strikes large parts of US
ICYMI: The Christmas weekend storm follows another blizzard that dumped more than 6 feet (about 1.8 meters) of snow in western and northern New York, resulting in three deaths, just over a month ago. New York often sees dramatic lake-effect snow, which is caused by cool air picking up moisture from the warm water, then releasing it in bands of windblown snow over land.
On the Ohio Turnpike, four died in a massive pileup involving some 50 vehicles. A Kansas City, Missouri, driver was killed Thursday after skidding into a creek, and three others died Wednesday in separate crashes on icy northern Kansas roads.
A utility worker in Ohio was also killed Friday while trying to restore power, a company said. Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative said the 22-year-old died in “an electrical contact incident” near Pedro in Lawrence County.
A woman in Vermont died in a hospital Friday after a tree broke in the high winds and fell on her. Police in Colorado Springs said they found the dead body of a person who appeared to be homeless as subzero temperatures and snow descended upon the region. In Madison, Wisconsin, a 57-year-old woman died Friday after falling through the ice on a river, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office announced.
In Lansing, Michigan, an 82-year-old woman died after being found Friday morning curled up in the snow outside of her assisted living community, Bath Township police reported. A snowplow driver found the woman as temperatures hovered around 10 degrees.
Anger as ‘worthless’ Texas governor drops off migrants outside Kamala Harris’s residence in freezing weather
Texas Governor Greg Abbott appears to have celebrated Christmas this weekend by ensuring that two busloads of migrants would be left in the cold outside of Kamala Harris’s residence.
John Bowden has the story.
Texas governor drops off migrants outside Harris’s residence in freezing weather
Temperatures in the capital were well below freezing
‘I wish we should have stayed’: Drivers stuck 34-hour traffic jam in Kentucky
ICYMI: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said one person died in a traffic accident attributed to the weather in western Kentucky and a homeless person died in Louisville.
Along Interstate 71 in Kentucky, Terry Henderson and her husband, Rick, were stuck in a massive traffic jam caused by several accidents for 34 hours. The truck drivers weathered the wait in a rig outfitted with a diesel heater, a toilet and a refrigerator but nonetheless regretted trying to drive from Alabama to their home near Akron, Ohio, for Christmas.
“I wish we should have stayed,” said Terry Henderson, after they got moving again Saturday. “We should have sat.”
The storm was nearly unprecedented in its scope, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.
As millions of Americans were traveling ahead of Christmas, more than 2,360 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled Saturday, according to the tracking site FlightAware. While in Mexico, migrants camped near the U.S. border in unusually cold temperatures as they awaited a U.S. Supreme Court decision on pandemic-era restrictions that prevent many from seeking asylum.
Forecasters said a bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm — had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.
Buffalo airport to remain closed until Tuesday
ICYMI: Buffalo Niagara International Airport will remain closed until 11am on Tuesday because of low visibility and high winds, said the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.
Seven people have died in the city as parts of the US remain gripped by arctic temperatures and stormy conditions.
PHOTOS: Buffalo hit by several feet of snow amid arctic blast
Buffalo Bills players find cars under feet of snow
Players for the Buffalo Bills returned to the storm-hit city after playing in Chicago on Saturday to find their cars under heavy snow.
‘Effects of climate change are wreaking havoc,’ says NY Governor
ICYMI: “The effects of climate change are wreaking havoc everywhere,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul during a press conference on Saturday.
As storm Elliot causes major issues across the US, Ms Hochul said the zero visibility and whiteouts may make this winter storm as one of the “worst in history”.
She advised western New Yorkers to stay home and avoid travelling.
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