Intense winter storm causes flight delays, dangerous conditions from Texas to New York
More than 50 million Americans from Texas to New York faced some type of weather warning as a major storm delayed flights and shut down roads.
Treacherous winter weather has extended across the Southeast this week, resulting in auto collisions, power outages and other dangerous conditions.
Wrecks on slippery roads were reported in Texas, Arkansas and states across the region this week. In Texas’ Travis County, officials said on Tuesday they were responding to new crashes every three minutes, and at least one fatality was reported by officials in Austin.
And in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota, a wind chill advisory was in effect Wednesday morning, with wind chills dropping as low as 35 below zero. Officials warned people in the area that the conditions can cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes.
Here’s what you need to know about Wednesday’s winter weather.
Winter storm warning continues in parts of Texas, Oklahoma
A winter storm warning will remain in effect until Thursday morning across swaths of north and central Texas, with mostly freezing rain and sleet expected in the area, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned.
Some winter storm warnings were set to lift by noon on Wednesday, the weather service said. But power outages and tree damage were still likely due to ice in the area, and officials warned that drivers should keep an extra flashlight, food and water in in their vehicles.
Further north, a winter storm warning was also in effect until Thursday in east central, southeast and southern Oklahoma.
Ice storm warning in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee
An ice storm warning is in effect until Thursday morning in parts of central Texas.
The weather service warned that “significant” icing is expected and ice accumulations could reach up to one-half inch.
An ice storm warning was also in effect until Thursday in parts of east Arkansas, north Mississippi and west Tennessee.
Sleet accumulations of up to one-half inch are possible.
Officials warned that travel conditions could continue to be difficult in the coming days. Interstate 40 in parts of Arkansas was coated in ice on Tuesday.
Polar vortex heads for the Northeast
Intense arctic air will target the Northeast later this week, AccuWeather meteorologists predicted.
Temperatures in Boston are expected to drop to 10 below zero by Saturday morning.
And in parts of Maine, temperatures could drop to 28 degrees below zero this weekend.