Snow blankets the majority of the US as a severe winter storm wreaks havoc

A monster winter storm ripped through the eastern half of the United States on Tuesday, resulting in the loss of four lives and more than 600,000 power outages across the country.

In addition, travel plans have been disrupted in the face of an expected brutal freeze expected to blanket the region from this weekend, Worthy mentionted.

The storm managed to set a record for the lowest atmospheric pressure in Indianapolis in January.

According to financial firm London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), we can expect this storm to be followed by what is likely to be the “coldest weather in the country since December 2022”.

Wind speeds are expected to reach record highs, possibly exceeding 100 mph at 1,000 to 4,000 feet above the surface in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

That could lead to widespread power outages, which have already affected more than 600,000 customers across the U.S. overnight, including nearly 190,000 in New York, according to PowerOutage.us.

As a result of the storm, more than 3,100 flights were delayed and more than 1,000 canceled early Wednesday, following thousands of delays and cancellations the day before, per FlightAware.

Roads across the US were closed Tuesday through Wednesday due to extreme weather, including high winds on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Schools in Charlotte, Raleigh and DC closed early due to flooding and wind threats. The shutdown extended into the Carolinas and as far south as Florida, Axios reported. Meanwhile, schools in New York and New Jersey announced they would open later due to flooding and threats of power outages.

The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Weather Forecast Center noted that the storm “producing many significant impacts from the Midwest to the East Coast” will move into Wednesday.

There is a “moderate risk” of excessive rainfall leading to flash flooding and river flooding from Richmond to Boston, according to the NWS.

Tornado watches were in effect from Virginia to Tampa, Florida, with at least 15 reported since early Wednesday. Another powerful winter storm is forecast for late this week into the weekend, followed by a major Arctic breakout.