A severe winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain, and snow to the central United States on Wednesday as flight crews canceled hundreds of flights, governors told residents to avoid streets and schools closed.

While ice accumulates pose a main threat to the storm, forecasters also predict as much as 15 to 20 inches of snow could accumulate throughout parts of the mid-West.

The forecast doesn’t require the same long and cold temperatures as the February 2021 storm, and the National Weather Service said that a very messed up system would generally not be so bad for Texas this time.

As the storm is making its way south and east, conditions are expected to become more icy than snowy, leaving millions at risk of significant ice buildup.

The National Weather Service said 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 6 inches) of snow was expected in parts of the Rocky Mountains and the Midwest by Thursday morning, while heavy ice could be expected from Texas all the way to the Ohio Valley.

‘The winter storm is expected to include a mix of freezing rain, sleet, snow, strong wind gusts and low temperatures across the state beginning Wednesday, which may result in power outages,’ Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement.

Airports in Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit canceled more flights than standard.

The allegedly hazardous conditions caused the Dallas Independent School District to close Thursday and Friday and schools are not expected to make up the shortages this week, authorities said Tuesday.

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Weather

Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, (wikipedia)


National Weather Service

Agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations (wikipedia)