‘Heaviest snowfall in over a decade’: Winter storm impacting millions
A massive winter storm is bringing bitter cold temperatures, rain and snow to more than 60 million Americans.
WASHINGTON – A major winter storm that buried midwestern communities under several feet of snow over the weekend began pummeling the Mid-Atlantic region Monday, causing dangerous travel conditions as flight cancellations and other delays piled up in several major cities.
Tens of millions were under winter storm advisories as the storm stretched from southern Illinois to Virginia and Washington D.C., where forecasters warned of extremely heavy snow “falling at the rate of 1-2 inches per hour, coinciding with the first full morning commute after the holiday season,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in an online forecast.
Washington D.C., where Congress is set to formally certify Donald Trump’s election as president, and Baltimore are expected to receive around 6 to 12 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Federal offices in Washington D.C. area closed on Monday, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Governors in several states, including Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia, declared states of emergency over the weekend as the storm headed east. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for seven counties, while Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly declared a state of disaster.
“When it is snowing that fast a rate, despite the best efforts of road crews, it is difficult to keep up with the accumulation and keep roads clear of snow,” Porter said. “We’ve seen similar situations in the past catch people off guard who aren’t prepared for the impacts, leading to ‘highway chaos’ including multiple-vehicle pileups and traffic jams, which have resulted in major interstates being shut down for hours.”
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Contributing: John Bacon and Thao Nguyen