Flights cancelled, icy roads, power outages: Severe winter storm grips US

A grating winter storm in the central United States has led to challenging conditions for the authorities, with a blizzard blocking major roadways in nearly entire Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana.

The disruptive storm, currently deemed as the "heaviest snowfall in a decade" in some areas, has blanketed roads with ice and snow, prompting the authorities to deploy the state's National Guard to assist any stuck motorists.

The harsh storm results when the polar vortex of ultra-cold air, which generally spins around the North Pole, spaces the vortex and stretches south, causing intense cold in the US, Europe and Asia.


A major reason for the ultra-cold air escaping the North Pole has reportedly been attributed to the fast-warming Arctic that ultimately leads to enhanced icy grips.

Top points

• The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, expecting at least 8 inches of snow, particularly north of Interstate 70. The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.
• The NWS also warned that accumulations of up to a half-inch of ice in some areas -- as well as widespread tree damage from powerful wind gusts -- could lead to "prolonged power outages."
• Nearly 200 flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport were canceled, according to tracking platform FlightAware.
• "For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade," the weather service said early Sunday, according to news agency AP.
• Portions of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and US Route 41 in Indiana were fully covered in snow, leading Indiana State Police to urge motorists to stay off the roads, with plows working to keep up with the pace of the precipitation.
• Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency ahead of the storm, said state buildings would be closed Monday. Governors in Missouri and Arkansas also declared states of emergency.
• Virginia State Police reported at least 135 crashes as the storm entered the state Sunday. A handful of injuries were reported, but no fatalities.
• Dozens of car accidents had been reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his police car was hit on Interstate 65.
• Highways in northeastern Kansas were closed due to "impassable" conditions, according to the state’s Transportation Department. Damaging winds brought down trees across the Deep South. The weather service issued tornado warnings Sunday in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
• The chilly air will likely grip the eastern half of the country as far south as Georgia, Palmer said, with parts of the East Coast experiencing freezing temperatures and lows dipping into the single digits in some areas.
• The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches (about 20 to 30 centimetres) of snow for the Annapolis, Maryland, area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend.
• Schools in districts in Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky were already announcing and delays on Sunday afternoon. Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools cancelled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics Monday for its nearly 100,000 students, reported AP.