| USA TODAY
The polar vortex, explained
Midwestern temperatures are reaching record levels, as a powerful polar vortex causes a deep freeze in the eastern half of the United States. The intense cold will bring temperatures below zero to a quarter of the continental United States.
USA TODAY
NEW YORK – A strip of land from central Texas to New York City was subjected to a winter weather alert on Thursday, when an ice storm brought freezing rain, dangerous conditions and power cuts.
In Fort Worth, where the roads were slippery and icy, a pileup of at least 50 vehicles led to several injured on I-35 on Thursday morning, Mike Drivdahl, public information officer for the Fort Worth Fire Department told the USA TODAY.
Millions were gearing up along a 1,500-mile path as the storm moved to parts of Arkansas and Kentucky during the night and Thursday morning. It can cause up to half an inch of ice buildup in some areas, the National Meteorological Service said.
“A mixture of hail and freezing rain should gradually come to an end today, but not before leaving a long strip of damaging ice accumulations,” said the meteorological service.
The Ozarks for the I-64 corridor in eastern Kentucky can see a quarter of an inch of ice, according to the weather service.
“This amount of ice is likely to lead to dangerous travel conditions, power outages and damage to scattered trees,” the meteorological service said in a forecast.
In the Fort Worth accident, Drivdahl said that first aid had to rescue several people from their vehicles using hydraulic tools. The injuries ranged from mild to critical and some were transported to hospitals in the area. Drivdahl said there was no immediate confirmation of deaths. The incident occurred around a toll road separated by a concrete barrier that created a “funnel-like effect,” he said.
“I’m sure it will boil down to one type of chain reaction event,” said Drivdahl. Sand and melted ice are needed to make roads safe for rescuers trying to access the crash site, he added.
Polar vortex brings freezing temperatures, snow and ice to the US
Arctic air brings very cold temperatures and the threat of snow and ice to the Ohio Valley and the middle of the Atlantic by the end of this week.
Accuweather
More than 70,000 customers in Kentucky and 42,000 in West Virginia were left without power on Thursday morning, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us.
Until Friday, the storm is forecast to bring light snow to the Ohio Valley and the Central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic, which can reach 5 to 6 inches, according to the weather service.
More freezing rain on Friday is also possible for Central Appalachians and parts of Virginia and northern North Carolina, the weather service said.
“Accidents and icy conditions can shut down parts of the road for a long time,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Walker.
In Kentucky, bad weather resulted in the closure of schools, COVID-19 vaccination sites and state offices. Louisville’s MetroSafe reported 10 accidents from 5 am to 7 am on Thursday, with an accident on I-64 resulting in injuries. Wednesday saw 70 accidents between 1 pm and 10 pm, including 17 with injuries.
Memphis woke up Thursday morning in a city with a new blanket of melted snow on the roads and tree branches hanging heavy with a layer of frozen rain. From Wednesday night to Thursday morning, there was also a rare appearance of “thunder ice” or a storm with freezing rain or ice.
Amid light snow on Wednesday night, a plane with almost 80 passengers slid off the runway at Pittsburgh International Airport, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. There were no injuries.
A light layer of snow that fell overnight covered cars and sidewalks in New York on Thursday morning as well.
The meteorological service said strong winds can cause more damage from Thursday to Friday, and extremely low temperatures are expected over the weekend.
In Dallas, the blast of cold air could even lead to the first blizzard of the season in Texas City on Sunday, AccuWeather said.
“Whenever you get a mass of Arctic air in Texas, you always have to worry about snow and ice because, at some point, the warmer air will try to return. And when the warmer air collides with the colder air , you get clouds and precipitation, “said AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist, Bernie Rayno.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest is also expected to see “striking winter weather” by Saturday, the weather service said.
“A low pressure system is planned to enter southern Oregon tonight, while
simultaneously interacting with very cold air draining into the region. This combination can lead not only to heavy snow in typical mountainous locations, but also in the lowlands, “said the forecast.
Seattle and Portland could also see some snow: AccuWeather was forecasting 1-3 inches in both cities.
Contributing: Billy Kobin, Louisville Courier Journal; Micaela A. Watts, Memphis Commercial Resource