“Across a period of peak holiday travel, the winter weather pattern moving across our state presents a dangerous environment to anyone out driving,” said a statement from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The impact of his words is profound in light of the massive winter storm that has resulted in a Blizzard in the Mid West and Northeast with rain as well as strong winds.
1. Widespread Winter Weather Alerts
Almost 10 million people are still under winter storm warnings, and about 3 million people are still under blizzard warnings. Moreover, over 32 million people are still under winter weather advisories. The National Weather Service has issued a warning concerning the “DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING” travel conditions in the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Over a foot of snow is expected in the region of the Great Lakes, and the south shore of Lake Superior will get about 2 feet of snow.
2. Severe Disruption to Holiday Travel
The storm affected the busiest time of the year to travel, which was forecast to see 122.4 million travelers nationwide over the holiday week, as announced by AAA. According to FlightAware, a tracking website, over 16,500 flights were Delayed and 945 flights were Cancelled as of Monday morning. Chicago O’Hare Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, and Detroit Metropolitan Airport have been the worst-hit airports due to bad weather. In addition to the problems faced by commuters, the following roads have also been reported to be closed Interstate 35 – Minnesota/Iowa.
3. Blizzard Conditions in the Midwest
It is among the regions that have been affected greatly, thanks to the governor declaring them safe after authorizing the National Guard to help stranded motorist due to snow. Army Major Andrea Tsuchiya stated that National Guard is ready since they have been unable resisting and evacuating over 30 individuals in Freeborn County. “Blowing snow, estimated speeds of up to 65 mph, and snow have created whiteout conditions making travel very difficult to impossible.”
4. Ice and Freezing Rain in the Northeast
The mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain is extremely dangerous in interior New England and Northern New York, followed by a chance of rain. The NWS has issued a warning concerning possible ice accumulations up to 0.7 inches in Vermont and New York, which may lead to fallen trees and power lines, along with hazardous road conditions. The power was out for over 1,600 connections in Connecticut, which was affected by a covering of freezing rain on Monday.
5. High Winds and Power Outages
Gusts of up to 70 mph have also been recorded in Western New York. Of extreme concern is that over 300,000 customers have had power knocked out by the gusts. The result of the lake-effect snowfall in the city of Buffalo, combined with the high winds that are causing extensive damage, has resulted in the closing of major roads such as the Buffalo Skyway. Over 1,600 snowplows have been deployed by the DOT state agency for the state of New York. There have been salt deployments of over 126,000 tons.
6. Tornado Threats in the Ohio Valley
The Arctic front is being weakened by anomalously warm and moist air, and this is resulting in strong thunderstorms from the Arklatex region towards the Midwest. A portion of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio is being watched by the NWS Storm Prediction Center due to the presence of potentially erosive winds and isolated tornadoes. Moreover, the amounts of 1 to 2 inches of rainfall, along with melted snow, are contributing towards the flash flooding in the Chicago and Cleveland regions.
7. Psychological Coping Strategies for Travelers
Disruptions in traveling due to the weather always seem to have the potential for generating stress levels that are simply through the roof during holidays. If you realize that you are left in one place without having to travel to a different destination, always ensure that you stay hydrated and are able to communicate effectively with loved ones. Since when things are tough, the tough always breathe through their noses to manage stress levels due to changes in travel plans.
8. Safety Preparation for Extreme Winter Travel
They suggest that one should prepare their own portable winter survival kit that should contain blankets, food, water, and a flashlight. As per the guidelines provided by the NWS, in case of being stranded, it is recommended to stay in the same place as the vehicle because traveling out can make one vulnerable to the harsh weather. As far as flights are concerned, the flight status should preferably be checked before traveling out, along with an additional time factor in case the traveler is supposed to stay overnight at the airport points or airports en route to their final destination. As far as traveling via roads is concerned, in case it is not completely necessary, then it is always better not to venture out into the roads.
9. Lake-Effect Snow’s Lingering Impact
Snow Even while the first stage of the storm dies out because the storm moves away into the archives of time, then by the middle of the week, the lake-effect snow will continue in the areas that lie downrange in the Great Lakes region. This will affect areas such as the Tug Hill Plateau and Chautauqua Ridge regions up to 2 to 3 ft of actual snowfall, while rates can reach up to 3 in per hour at times.
Such rates of snowfall effects can continue into the remaining part of the winter season itself and extend into next year. While the storm extends in an easterly direction, then it appears that some form of combination between Blizzard, Ice, Winds, as well as Tornadoes is what is to be expected here, in which case preparedness as well as patience become completely necessary.
