At least five people have died in a winter storm that has gripped a large portion of the US, causing widespread school closures, travel disruptions, and power outages.
Seven states such as Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas—have declared emergencies as the storm, driven by the polar vortex of icy Arctic air, wreaks havoc across the country.
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Eko Hot Blog reports that more than 2,300 flights have been cancelled, and nearly 9,000 delays reported due to the extreme weather. Over 200,000 people were left without power on Monday night across the storm’s path, according to PowerOutage.us. The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts snow and sleet will continue in much of the northeastern US on Tuesday.
While precipitation is expected to subside, frigid Arctic air will likely keep parts of the country icy for several more weeks.
In Washington DC, where lawmakers met Monday to certify Donald Trump’s November election victory, snowfall ranged between 5-9 inches (13-23 cm), with up to a foot recorded in parts of Maryland and Virginia.
Despite the challenges, residents embraced the snow. Hundreds gathered near the Washington Monument for a snowball fight, continuing a 15-year tradition.
“Just having fun,” one local man told the BBC. “Never done a snowball fight before.”
Former US Olympic skier Clare Egan was spotted cross-country skiing along the National Mall. She told the Associated Press, “I thought my skiing days were maybe behind me,” after moving to the city.
The storm, named Winter Storm Blair by the Weather Channel, prompted Washington DC to declare a weather emergency until early Tuesday.
Many school districts across the storm’s path, from Maryland to Kansas, cancelled classes on Monday, giving children an unexpected snow day.
However, hazardous road conditions caused by the storm resulted in multiple accidents:
In Houston, Texas, a person was found dead from exposure to the cold at a bus stop on Monday morning, officials said.
Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist at the weather app MyRadar, told the BBC that Kansas City experienced its heaviest snowfall in 32 years.
Frigid temperatures near the Ohio River turned roads into “skating rinks,” Cappucci added.
“The ploughs are stuck, the police are stuck, everybody’s getting stuck, stay home,” he warned.
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