A fresh wave of arctic air is forecast to sweep across parts of the Southern United States, exacerbating conditions in areas already blanketed in snow and ice and struggling with persistent power outages. This new influx of frigid air is expected to spur dangerously low temperatures on Tuesday, compounding the challenges for residents and recovery crews.
Residents Forced to Flee to Warming Shelters
Many across Tennessee and other Southern states have been compelled to seek refuge in warming shelters as utility teams work tirelessly to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of households. Lisa Patterson, a resident of Nashville, recounted her harrowing experience after a massive winter storm descended over the weekend. She and her husband had planned to remain at their family home, but when they lost power, trees collapsed onto their driveway, and their wood stove failed to combat the extreme cold, they had to be rescued along with their dog and taken to a shelter.
"I've been snowed in up there for almost three weeks without being able to get up and down my driveway because of the snow. I'm prepared for that. But this was unprecedented," Patterson stated, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Storm Leaves Trail of Destruction and Fatalities
The winter storm has left a devastating impact, with at least 30 deaths reported in states afflicted by the severe cold. Tragic incidents include two individuals run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents that claimed the lives of teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body was discovered covered in snow in Kansas. In New York City, officials confirmed that eight people were found dead outdoors during the frigid weekend.
The storm deposited over a foot (30 centimeters) of snow across a vast 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch from Arkansas to New England, bringing traffic to a standstill, cancelling thousands of flights, and triggering widespread school closures on Monday. The National Weather Service reported that areas north of Pittsburgh received up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of snow and endured wind chills as low as minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 31 degrees Celsius) from late Monday into Tuesday.
Record Cold and Further Storm Threats Loom
Forecasters have warned of more widespread record cold temperatures for Tuesday, with extreme cold warnings in effect from eastern Texas through western Pennsylvania. In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear cautioned that the temperatures could be so severe that as little as 10 minutes outside "could result in frostbite or hypothermia." Additionally, there is a possibility that another winter storm could strike parts of the East Coast this weekend, raising concerns about further disruptions.
As of Monday night, more than 550,000 power outages were reported across the nation, with the majority concentrated in the South. Weekend blasts of freezing rain caused tree limbs and power lines to snap, leading to crippling outages in northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee. Officials have indicated that it could take days for power to be fully restored.
Significant Damage and School Closures Reported
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves announced on Monday that at least 14 homes and 20 public roads had sustained major damage following the state's worst ice storm since 1994. The University of Mississippi cancelled classes for the entire week as its Oxford campus remained coated in treacherous ice. Meanwhile, New York City experienced its snowiest day in years, with neighborhoods recording 8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 centimeters) of snow, prompting the nation's largest public school system to shut down.
Bitter cold has followed in the storm's wake, with communities across the Midwest, South, and Northeast awakening on Monday to subzero weather. The entire Lower 48 states are forecast to have their coldest average low temperature of minus 9.8 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12.3 degrees Celsius) since January 2014.
Personal Accounts Highlight Harsh Conditions
Nathan Hoffner, a resident of Nashville, sent his 4-year-old son to stay with the child's mother after his rental house lost power midday Sunday. He and his roommate layered up with clothes and multiple blankets overnight, but by the next morning, the temperature inside the home had plummeted dramatically. "I saw my breath in the house," Hoffner remarked, underscoring the dire circumstances faced by many.
The ongoing crisis underscores the severe impact of the winter weather, with residents and authorities bracing for continued challenges as arctic air persists and recovery efforts remain underway.
