A powerful winter storm sweeping across much of the United States has forced the cancellation of more than 9,000 flights over the weekend.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), nearly 140 million people across a vast stretch from New Mexico to New England are under winter storm warnings.
The system is expected to bring widespread heavy snowfall along with a dangerous band of ice extending from east Texas to North Carolina. Meteorologists warned that damage in ice-hit regions could rival that caused by a hurricane.
By Saturday, freezing rain and sleet that initially struck northern Texas had begun moving deeper into the state, while snow and sleet continued to fall across Oklahoma.
The NWS stated that bitterly cold temperatures and severe wind chills would persist through Monday, with lows dipping into the single digits in several areas and wind chills plummeting to minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 degrees Celsius).
Flight disruptions mounted rapidly. Data from FlightAware showed more than 3,400 flights delayed or cancelled on Saturday, with over 5,000 more scrapped for Sunday. Major airports across Texas, the Midwest and parts of the Northeast were among the worst affected.
The storm is also raising alarms over the power supply. Around 68,000 power outages were reported nationwide on Saturday morning, including more than 27,000 in Texas alone.
Utility companies warned that ice-laden trees and power lines could continue to snap even after the storm passes, prolonging outages for days.
Governors in over a dozen states issued emergency declarations or urged residents to stay home.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said roadways were being pretreated and advised people to avoid travel if possible. Federal authorities placed nearly 30 search-and-rescue teams on standby and pre-positioned emergency supplies, including meals, blankets and generators, across the storm’s projected path.
The Midwest bore the brunt of the cold, with wind chills dropping to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of North Dakota, where officials warned frostbite could occur within minutes.
As the system moves eastward, forecasters expect up to a foot of snow in parts of the Northeast, including Washington, New York and Boston.
