Press "Enter" to skip to content

Large Parts of US Hit by Snow, Ice, and Cold

A huge winter storm blasted through much of the United States on Sunday and Monday. The storm brought snow, ice, and strong winds, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. The dangerous conditions also led to traffic problems, closed schools, and canceled flights.

The storm began Sunday, bringing snow to many parts of the country that often don’t see snow or cold weather. The storm was caused by the “polar vortex”, which led to extremely cold temperatures in much of central and eastern US.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

A huge winter storm blasted through much of the US on Sunday and Monday. The storm brought snow, ice, and strong winds, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. The dangerous conditions also led to traffic problems, closed schools, and canceled flights. Above, a truck plowing in New Jersey on Monday.

The polar vortex is a system of powerful, cold winds that normally blow in a circle around the North Pole. When the polar vortex is strong, the winds keep the extreme cold weather up near the North Pole. But when the polar vortex is weak, large areas of cold air start to dip down into areas that are normally much warmer.

As a result of the storm, areas in the south, like Florida and Texas, saw temperatures drop sharply. People across much of the US experienced temperatures far below normal. And those temperatures felt even colder with the strong winds that were blowing. In Kansas and Missouri, for example, winds blasted through at speeds of up to 45 MPH (72 KPH).

A strong polar vertex keeps the cold air near the North Pole. A weaker polar vertex allows cold air to dip down below the artic circle.
When the polar vortex is strong, the winds keep the extreme cold weather up near the North Pole (left). But when the polar vortex is weak, large areas of cold air start to dip down into areas that are normally much warmer (right).
(Source: NOAA.)

Snow and ice created dangerous conditions in many areas. In Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Virginia, and West Virginia, state governments declared an emergency. In some places, freezing rain created dangerous layers of hard ice over the snow, as well as on sidewalks and roads.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of dangerous driving conditions in many areas. People were encouraged to stay home if they could. In several states, police received hundreds of calls for help with car accidents. In some states, the National Guard was called out to help people who were stuck in their cars.

Snow in Washington, DC, January 6, 2025. The view looks down a snow-covered street with a set of tire tracks running through the snow. Snow covered cars are on either side of the street. In the distance, two separate people can be seen walking under tree limbs covered with snow.
The storm brought heavy snow to many places, and the National Weather Service warned of dangerous driving conditions. People were encouraged to stay home if they could. Above, snow in Washington, DC on Monday.
(Source: Ted Eytan [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)

The storm brought heavy snow to many places. Louisville, Kentucky got a record-setting amount of snow on Sunday, and got even more on Monday, for a total of 10.5 inches (27 centimeters). The NWS reported that Topeka, Kansas got 14.5 inches (37 centimeters) of snow on Sunday alone. The snow was so heavy in Indiana that it covered roads almost as quickly as they could be cleared.

Drivers weren’t the only ones having trouble because of the weather. Over 2,500 flights were canceled on Monday, and more than 9,000 flights were delayed. At one point, 70% of the flights leaving Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport had been canceled. And Amtrak canceled a large number of its trains across the Midwest and Northeast.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Over 2,500 flights were canceled on Monday, and over 9,000 flights were delayed. At one point, 70% of the flights leaving Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport had been canceled. Amtrak canceled a large number of its trains across the Midwest and Northeast. Above, a board showing canceled flights at Ronald Reagan Airport.

The storm forced many schools to close on Monday. In many states, including Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia, classes were canceled or started late.

The heavy snow and ice, along with the powerful winds, brought trees and power lines down. Close to 300,000 homes across six states lost electrical power because of the storm.

The freezing weather and the dangers from the storm aren’t over yet. In many areas, the bitter cold temperatures are expected to continue, and more snow is possible later in the week.

Share:

Settings

Most news on NewsForKids.net is appropriate for all ages. When there is news that may not be suitable for all ages, we try to tag it. You can use the setting below to control whether content tagged in this manner is shown.