Millions of people in the Lone Star State are currently experiencing a cold front, as a winter storm covers much of the United States, extending along a system that encompasses states from Maine to New Mexico.
A terrible winter storm with millions of Americas on its way continued to sweep the country on Thursday, bringing rain, freezing rain and heavy snowfall, knocking out power to more than 100.000 homes and businesses and interfering with flights at the busy Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
In San Antonio, where around 30.000 households were without power Thursday morning, officials emphasized that outages were local faults, like downed power lines, rather than power outages.
Weather conditions also caused more than 5.000 flight cancellations and 2.400 delays on Thursday, FlightAware said.
More than 100.000 homes and companies were left without electricity, mainly in Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas, according to the Web site poweroutage.us, which tracks Utilities reports.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Thursday the storm was “one of the most significant icing events that we’ve had in the state of Texas in at least several decades,” despite authorities saying that wasn’t as severe as the devastating freezing cold last year, leaving many residents without electricity in frigid temperatures for two weeks.
The forecast did not anticipate similar long and cold temperatures to the storm in February 2021, and the National Weather Service said the system would not be worse for Texas in the general this time around.
With travel conditions incredibly hazardous to roads due to the storm, several school districts across the country are closed Thursday and Friday.
DALLAS – View from I-35 @ Colorado Blvd. around 7:30a & you can see the ongoing wintry mix near downtown. Crews applying materials & plowing as storm continues. Not too much traffic on this view which is good! Avoid travel if possible during this #winterstorm. #txwx pic.twitter.com/oBDI2jTJ8U
— TxDOT Dallas (@TxDOTDallas) February 3, 2022
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The major winter storm over the Central U.S. is moving into the Northeast. Please see our latest Key Messages for more details. pic.twitter.com/xKQOXKm5QB
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) February 3, 2022
We’re tracking ice accumulations overnight in the Capital Region and south into the Hudson Valley.
Pay close attention to the forecast, be careful on the roads, and remember — it’s better to get there late than not at all. Stay safe, New York!
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 4, 2022
WEATHER UPDATE: DFW has reopened our first runway for operations. Due to ongoing weather conditions, we anticipate intermediate stoppages throughout the day to treat for snow and ice. Customers should contact their airlines for all flight updates. pic.twitter.com/WeqKDXblo6
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) February 3, 2022
MFD crews responded to a Multi-vehicle MVA @ 2800 Austin Peay Hwy. 16 vehicles involved, 6 transported to the ER, 2 critical, 4 noncritical. MATA Bus on the scene to keep people warm. Avoid the area and expect significant delays. pic.twitter.com/AzXRfj5sm4
— Memphis Fire Department (@MEM_Fire) February 4, 2022
❗️There are a growing number of areas with wires down. Please avoid and STAY HOME if you can. https://t.co/mMIcfcM26P
— City of Memphis (@CityOfMemphis) February 3, 2022
There is a lot of ice on trees, causing branches to fall off trees. However, to measure the accumulation of ice, use this image. Be safe as branches will continue to fall with the wind and freezing rain. If you do measure the ice let us know where you are at. #tnwx #mswx #mowx pic.twitter.com/E43vUdUdwm
— NWS Memphis (@NWSMemphis) February 3, 2022
This is expected to worsen through the day as heavy freezing rain continues. Be prepared! #Memphis https://t.co/7LPQg6PqJX
— NWS Memphis (@NWSMemphis) February 3, 2022
Due to weather conditions in the Chicagoland area, airlines at O'Hare have proactively cancelled 360+ flights and are reporting delays avg 20 minutes.
For the most up to date flight info, check with your carrier.
If you must travel, stay safe. https://t.co/yfjuLsGBUs
— O'Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) February 2, 2022
Due to weather conditions in the Chicagoland area, airlines at Midway have cancelled 80 flights and are reporting minimal delays.
For the most up to date flight info, check with your carrier.
— Midway Intl. Airport (@fly2midway) February 2, 2022
