Wild winter storm in US disrupts Christmas travel | Weather News
A storm that struck earlier in the week brought down power lines, littered highways with piles of cars, caused fatal accidents and led to massive flight cancellations on Saturday.
The storm was unprecedented in scope, extending from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande River along the border with Mexico.
Frigid temperatures and gusty winds are expected to bring “dangerously cold winds to many parts of the central and eastern United States this holiday weekend,” according to the Bureau of Meteorology, a situation that could pose a “life-threatening threat to travelers.” It could pose a possible danger,” he added. stuck”.
“In some areas, being outdoors can cause frostbite within minutes,” it warns.
The power outage was still affecting more than 1 million homes and businesses by late Friday, according to PowerOutage, a website that tracks utility reports.
More than 5,700 flights in and out of the US were canceled on Friday, according to tracking site FlightAware, as millions of Americans prepared to travel before Christmas.
Officials said multiple highways were closed and at least six people were killed in the crashes. About 50 vehicles were caught on a turnpike in Ohio, killing four people. A Kansas City, Missouri, driver died Thursday after skidding into a creek, and three others died Wednesday in another crash on icy northern Kansas roads.