- More than 50 million People were under winter weather advisories as the storm rolled across.
- The National Weather Service predicted up to 2 feet of snow.
- The storm also slammed California.
A massive winter storm pummelled the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest with high winds and heavy snow on Wednesday, forcing hundreds of schools to close, grounding air transport, and making vehicle travel difficult, if not impossible, in several parts of the United States.
On Wednesday morning, more than 50 million People were under winter weather advisories as the storm rolled across a large area of the western and northern United States and into the East. The National Weather Service predicted up to 2 feet (60 cm) of snow and winds of up to 60 miles per hour in certain areas throughout the day and into Thursday.
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 17 inches (43 cm) of snow fell, with wind gusts reaching 45 mph (72 kph) and temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 5 degrees Celsius).
“It’s terribly cold, but people still want their coffee and eggs,” said Bre Bethke, 37, a manager at M.B. Haskett Delicatessen, after being pelted by the elements every time she opened a drive-through window for a customer.
“Our regulars want to come here and get out of the cold. But not today, no way. This is too much.”
The storm also slammed California and delivered snow and sleet to the East, including New England, where forecasters cautioned drivers to be cautious of slick roadways.
Travel in the Upper Midwest will also be hazardous due to snow-covered roads, ice-covered power lines, and falling trees could cause power outages late Wednesday and into Thursday, according to Frank Pereira, a forecaster with the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
Travel will be near-impossible
According to experts, the increased frequency and intensity of such storms, interspersed with excessive heat and dry spells, are signs of climate change. According to the weather service, while the East Coast has had a comparatively moderate winter, the Northern Plains has had an extraordinary winter in terms of snowfall and temperatures.
Minneapolis was one of the hardest-hit cities in the Midwest, with 20 inches (50 cm) of snow and 45 mph (72 kph) gusts forecast to cause whiteouts.
“We are bracing for what is likely to be one of the largest snowstorms in Minnesota history,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said at a news conference.
Local officials declared emergencies in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul, and drivers were advised not to drive.
Minneapolis’ school district announced it would hold courses remotely for more than 29,000 children for the rest of the week. Scores of school districts canceled classes in Dakotas, Colorado, and Wyoming.
The storm disrupted early-morning flights. According to Flightaware.com, 3,500 flights were delayed or canceled across the country, including 470 flights into and out of Minneapolis.
It also generated a zone of freezing rain running from central Iowa through Chicago and into southern Michigan, coating roadways, trees, and power lines with up to a 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) of ice, the weather service’s Pereira said.
The storm made landfall in California on Tuesday and was anticipated to last through the end of the week. The meteorological service issued the first blizzard warning for Los Angeles County mountains since 1989.
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