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
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
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.
‘Effects of climate change are wreaking havoc everywhere,’ NY Governor says
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said during a press conference on Saturday that “it’s very clear to me that the effects of climate change are wreaking havoc everywhere”.
She said the zero visibility and whiteouts may make this winter storm as one of the “worst in history”.
She noted that Buffalo broke its previous record of snowfall from 1977 a month ago already.
VIDEO: Freezing temperatures create ‘ice palace’ in Central Florida backyard
Arctic cold air freezes large parts of US to a standstill
An arctic blast has brought extreme cold, heavy snow and intense wind across much of the U.S. — just in time for the holidays.
The weather system, dubbed a “bomb cyclone,” is disrupting travel and causing hazardous winter conditions.
A front of cold air is moving down from the Arctic, sending temperatures plunging.
Much of the U.S. will see below-average temperatures, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
Temperatures may drop by more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius) in just a few hours, the National Weather Service predicts.
Wind chill temperatures could drop to dangerous lows far below zero — enough to cause frostbite within minutes. In parts of the Plains, the wind chill could dip as low as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 57 Celsius).
Those in the Plains, the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes were cautioned to expect blizzard conditions as heavy winds whip up the snow, according to the National Weather Service.
PHOTOS: Winter storm covers US in feet of snow
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’?
Forecasters in the US are also warning of the potential for a “bomb cyclone” – but what does this mean?
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
Frigid weather doesn’t stop Santas surfing off Florida coast
For the surfing Santas off Florida’s central coast, the Atlantic Ocean felt more like the North Pole than the Sunshine State as temperatures on Saturday morning plunged to around freezing, while freeze warnings were in place for at least half of the state.
Parts of the Florida Panhandle had wind chills that dipped into the single digits on Saturday morning, and interior parts of central Florida had temperatures plunging as low as 27 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 2.7 Celsius degrees).
“It’s a frigid start to your #ChristmasEve across the area,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee tweeted.
Miami was among the last holdouts of warm weather in the U.S. on Friday, but by Saturday morning temperatures had dipped to below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) for the first time in almost a year. South Floridians were on the watch for falling iguanas. The cold-blooded reptiles that reside in Miami suburbs typically become immobilized when temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 Celsius degrees).
Despite the frigid temperature, the 14th annual Christmas Eve Surfing Santas festival was held Saturday morning at Cocoa Beach on Florida’s Space Coast.
The event has grown from 10 surfers dressed in Santa costumes when it started in 2009 to hundreds of participants on surfboards, boogie boards and paddle boards in years past. Close to 140 surfers braved the frigid water Saturday morning. Almost 10,000 spectators showed up to cheer them on, and a beachside restaurant distributed free hot cocoa to help them stay warm, according to organizers.
VIDEO: Snow squalls, blizzard conditions continue in Ontario, Quebec
US freezes in its coldest Christmas in memory as 1.6 million without power
America is facing its coldest Christmas in living memory as swathes of the country suffer ice storms, whiteouts and ferocious subzero winds.
Tens of millions of people on the east coast faced the holidays with the threat of rolling blackouts after grid operations ran into trouble from the frigid conditions. Yesterday, 1.6m customers in states from Texas to Connecticut were without power.
Read more:
US freezes in coldest Christmas in memory as 1.6m without power, thousands stranded
Thousands of flights were cancelled across the country in recent days and some airports forced to shut
265,000 North Carolinians out of power as of Saturday afternoon
In North Carolina, 265,000 customers were without power Saturday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. They included James Reynolds of Greensboro, who said his best friend and housemate, a 70-year-old with diabetes and severe arthritis, spent the morning bundled beside his kerosene heater.
“The bedrooms and much of the house temperatures are hovering in the 50s,” Reynolds told The Associated Press.
In the Buffalo, New York suburb of Cheektowaga, two people died in their homes on Friday when emergency crews could not reach them in time to treat their medical emergencies, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
“This may turn out to be the worst storm in our community’s history,” Poloncarz said Saturday morning. “There are still likely hundreds of people stuck in vehicles.”
Colleen Darby, 59, of Williamsville outside Buffalo, says she had planned to host a Christmas party for family and friends, but the storm will keep her and her daughter at home with a refrigerator full of food.
“I’ve never seen the likes of this kind of storm,” said Darby, a lifelong resident of the area. “I can’t even get out of my house right now. The snow is up to my chest.”
PHOTOS: More than 800 runners dressed as Santa take part in Florida race
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments