Winter Storm Hits U.S. with Snow, Ice, and Freezing Temperatures

(Reuters) – A winter storm brought snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to a broad swath of the U.S. on Sunday, affecting around 60 million people across more than a dozen states, from Kansas to New Jersey, under winter weather warnings and advisories.

The storm progressed towards the mid-Atlantic, with Washington, D.C. preparing for heavy snow and bitter cold on Monday, coinciding with the U.S. Congress meeting to formally certify Republican Donald Trump’s election as president.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Fox News that the weather would not impair lawmakers from performing their duties. However, the Office of Personnel Management announced federal offices in the capital would be closed.

Blizzard conditions were reported in Kansas and parts of northwestern Missouri, with roadways blanketed in snow and ice, prompting officials to advise residents to refrain from traveling. Interstate 70 in Kansas was closed throughout Sunday due to severe weather.

Missouri state police were active in a 50-mile stretch of shut-down Interstate 29, searching for stranded motorists. By late Sunday afternoon, troopers had responded to nearly 600 stranded drivers and 285 crashes, according to authorities.

Snowfall totals of between six and twelve inches (15 to 30 cm) were expected from southern Ohio to Washington. Hundreds of schools announced closures for Monday due to the storm, including public schools in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington, and Philadelphia.

Freezing rain and sleet were anticipated to cause hazardous ice accumulations in northern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Additionally, the storm’s back end produced severe thunderstorms capable of spawning tornadoes in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

The storm led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, with over 275 cancellations in both Kansas City and St. Louis, as reported by aviation tracking website FlightAware.

Governors from several states, including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Virginia, declared states of emergency.

The storm is expected to move offshore by Monday night, but the arrival of bone-chilling arctic air follows, with daytime temperatures on Monday and Tuesday predicted to be 10 to 20 degrees F below average from the Great Plains to the East Coast.