Written by Brandon DrennonBBC News, Washington
Getty ImagesA major winter storm is brewing in the United States, predicted to bring dangerously cold and severe weather into the weekend.
From snowstorms and hailstorms to thunderstorms and tornadoes, the National Weather Service has issued weather warnings for nearly every state.
Cold temperatures of up to -45 degrees Celsius (-42 degrees Celsius) are expected in Iowa, and voters are refraining from attending the state’s caucuses on Monday.
This is the third big storm this week.
Wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) were issued from Texas to New York.
For parts of Texas, the NWS issued a wind chill warning through Saturday, warning of hypothermia and frostbite. We predicted wind chills there could drop to -25°F (-32°C).
Average low temperatures in the Lone Star State are predicted to be 15°F (-9°C), raising concerns among the state’s energy providers who saw their power grids collapse during the 2021 Texas Freeze. occured.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told residents at a press conference Friday to be “very, very cautious” and to expect “extremely cold weather,” adding that warming centers are available for those in need. Ta.
He said it was unlikely there would be another multi-day power outage.
“We will have electricity for the duration of this winter storm,” Governor Abbott said, urging Texans to have backup generators and enough fuel for them to avoid a repeat of the 2021 storm. He said there is.
The NWS said areas bordering Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana are at risk of “wind damage, large hail and possibly strong tornadoes.”
Further north, record cold temperatures are expected to be brought on by a frigid front, with more than a foot of snow expected to fall in some areas, including northern Michigan.
Up to 20 centimeters of snow is expected to fall in Chicago, Illinois.
More than 80,000 Illinois residents were without power as of Friday morning as flight cancellations and delays skyrocketed in the region, according to poweroutage.us.
The combination of cold air, snow and high winds is expected to bring blizzard conditions to other nearby states.
Winter storm warnings were issued in Iowa, where Republican voters are expected to gather Monday to choose the state’s presidential candidate, as well as Wisconsin, northern Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.
Northern Missouri is expected to see temperatures as low as 35 degrees below zero, as well as 2 to 4 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 45 mph. These cold wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, the NWS warned.
“We call this ‘life-threatening’ for a reason,” the service’s Missouri branch wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Take it seriously. Colds like this rarely happen.”
Cold weather warnings ranging from -55F (-48C) to -35F (-37C) are in effect across the Northwest, from Washington state to North Dakota and into Nebraska and Kansas.
A wind advisory has also been issued in Hawaii, warning locals of wind gusts of 125 mph or more.
But some parts of the U.S. are already starting to experience rapid wind gusts.
More than 6,000 miles away in Fort Myers, Florida, local news footage showed residents battling wind gusts of up to 30 mph. Additionally, storm surges in the area are predicted to reach up to 18 feet.
ReutersThe storm also wreaked havoc in Iowa, which was hit with snow and frigid temperatures earlier this week.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Friday canceled scheduled in-person events in the state due to “potentially dangerous weather conditions.”
Ron DeSantis also canceled two in-person events “due to dangerous weather,” but Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump plan to remain active ahead of Monday’s Hawkeye State caucuses, the campaign said. Stated.
Canadian authorities issued a weather warning for all of the country’s provinces and territories on Friday.
Residents in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes were told to prepare for up to a foot of snow and frigid temperatures.
Wind chills are predicted to reach -30C (-22F) to -38C (-36F) in parts of Ontario and Quebec, while bone-chilling temperatures are predicted in parts of Alberta. It’s only half as cold as -67F.
