Extreme weather hits the U.S., temperatures drop to −46°C; 40 states on alert

An extreme winter storm has hit the United States, putting around 40 states on alert. Temperatures in New York have dropped to −23 degrees Celsius, while in the Northern Plains they have fallen even below −46°C. According to forecasts, by Sunday the phenomena are expected to affect up to 150 million people.

Heavy snowfall has already been recorded in northwestern Texas and in Oklahoma, where around 24,000 households have been left without electricity due to severe weather conditions. In Chicago, temperatures have dropped to −27 degrees Celsius, increasing concerns for residents’ safety.

A state of emergency has been declared by governors in at least 12 states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In some areas, the National Guard has also been placed on standby to intervene where necessary.

Serious problems have also been reported in air transport, with more than 10,000 flights canceled. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, one of the busiest in the country, has been hit the hardest, with more than 1,200 departing and arriving flights canceled so far over the weekend.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the state has mobilized more than 1,600 snowplows and 114,000 tons of salt to cope with the storm, emphasizing that there will be “no corner of the state left untouched by the wrath of Mother Nature.”

According to Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, when extreme cold is also taken into account, the total number of people who could be affected is expected to reach up to 220 million. “This is a storm that will be remembered for years,” said Caitlin Dirks, also a National Weather Service meteorologist, on Friday, explaining that it is considered historic due to the widespread ice accumulations expected to cause severe damage to infrastructure.

The intensity of the severe weather is also reflected in images from many parts of the country, where residents are forming long lines outside stores for basic supplies, while shelves are rapidly emptying.

“KORÇA BOOM”