ديجيتال فابلت

الوسم: winter weather

  • Historic Blizzard Dumps Record Snow on US Northeast

    Historic Blizzard Dumps Record Snow on US Northeast

    A person walks through a winter blizzard in Somerville, Massachusetts, on February 23, 2026. — Reuters

    – Over two and a half feet of snow cripples the US Northeast.
    – At least 7,400 flights canceled, with thousands more delayed.
    – Millions are stranded as over 600,000 homes and businesses lose power.

    A powerful snowstorm blanketed parts of the U.S. Northeast with more than 30 inches (76.2 cm) of snow on Monday, bringing travel to a near halt for millions. Roads were impassable, train services shut down, and approximately 7,400 flights were called off.

    Numerous residents experienced power outages affecting homes and businesses. Officials, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, advised residents to stay off the streets to allow emergency crews to clear the snow. Schools in New York and surrounding areas were closed, and Broadway theaters suspended performances.

    “New York is still under a state of emergency,” Mamdani announced. “The travel ban lifted at noon today, but a hazardous travel advisory remains in effect until midnight.”

    By 1 p.m. ET, over 19 inches (48 cm) of snow had accumulated in Central Park, NYC, and Boston reported more than 14 inches, according to Bob Oravec, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Winds gusting between 40 to 60 mph (64–100 kph) whipped up snowdrifts several feet high.

    “It might take a week to dig out,” Oravec estimated.

    Philadelphia received 14 inches of snow, while Providence, Rhode Island, was buried under a record-breaking 32 inches.

    Over 608,711 homes and businesses nationwide were without power as of Monday afternoon, per PowerOutage.us. This included about 10% of Massachusetts’ nearly 3 million electric customers.

    Long Island resident Sandra Wu, with 20 years living in the area, said she’d never witnessed a storm this intense. Her family couldn’t open their front door due to towering snowdrifts, and she described her efforts to clear the driveway as futile.

    “I tried to start digging us out early, but it was pointless,” said Wu, a veterinarian in her early 50s. She remembered similar storms from the 1990s during her time in Buffalo, where annual snowfall averages 92 inches.

    Her children, aged 13 and 5, enjoyed an unexpected snow day and slept in. “We thought we might lose power, but luckily, we didn’t. Today, we’re baking and waiting for the storm to pass.”

    Regional authorities across at least seven states declared states of emergency. Airlines canceled more than 7,400 flights and delayed around 2,300 others, primarily in major hubs like New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports, Boston Logan, and Newark Liberty.

    Governor Kathy Hochul activated 100 National Guard members to assist with rescue operations in Long Island, New York City, and the lower Hudson Valley, which bore the brunt of the storm and heavy coastal winds. The storm caused the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan to close for the day.

    Despite a federal emergency funding lapse, the Department of Homeland Security assured that FEMA’s disaster response efforts would continue without interruption, including staff movement, emergency operations, and aid distribution.

    Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency and directed state workers to stay home. Connecticut limited commercial vehicle travel on highways, allowing only emergency and essential deliveries.

    Public transit was disrupted across New Jersey and Rhode Island, with bus and train lines halted until conditions improve. Some ships couldn’t leave port, including Wu’s in-laws, stranded aboard a cruise ship docked in New York Harbor en route to the Bahamas—though they’re making the best of the delay, enjoying their time with friends, food, and entertainment until the storm subsides.

  • Snowstorm Disrupts Travel Across South as Cold Front Spreads

    Snowstorm Disrupts Travel Across South as Cold Front Spreads

    A severe snowstorm continued to cause travel disruptions across southern US states on Sunday, bringing dangerously low temperatures to areas unprepared for such winter conditions.

    This latest severe weather event followed closely on the heels of a major storm last week that swept across much of the country, resulting in over 100 fatalities and widespread snow and ice accumulation that hampered communities’ recovery efforts.

    On Saturday, heavy snowfall blanketed North Carolina and neighboring states, prompting officials to advise residents to avoid travel and warning that coastal structures were at risk from the storm’s impact.

    All of North and South Carolina, along with parts of Georgia, eastern Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Virginia, were under winter storm warnings. In North Carolina, there were 750 car crashes reported on Saturday alone, according to state highway officials.

    North Carolina’s Faust recorded 14.5 inches of snow, while West Critz, Virginia, received about 12.5 inches. Meanwhile, Harrisburg, Tennessee, saw more than nine inches of accumulation. In Cape Carteret, North Carolina, strong winds pushed snow horizontally, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of treacherous, potentially life-threatening travel conditions, especially if stranded.

    In dramatic footage from Gastonia, North Carolina, a train collided at high speed with a semi-truck that was stuck on the tracks, destroying the truck but causing no injuries.

    The storm weekend led to over 1,800 flight cancellations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, a significant hub for American Airlines, according to FlightAware data. The airport deployed a 300-member snow removal team to clear runways, taxiways, and nearby roads.

    Similarly, over 600 flights were canceled Saturday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, with about 50 flights disrupted early Sunday.

    The National Weather Service warned that a rapidly intensifying coastal cyclone would continue to produce heavy snow, strong winds, and even blizzard conditions in the Carolinas. An arctic air surge behind the storm is expected to drive below-freezing temperatures as far south as South Florida by Sunday morning.

    On Saturday, Davis, West Virginia, recorded the coldest temperature in the contiguous US at -28°F (-33°C). Early Sunday, approximately 156,000 customers remained without power, primarily across the southern states, with Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana experiencing the most outages.

    In North Carolina, the National Park Service announced the closure of campgrounds and some beaches in the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands vulnerable to storm damage. Oceanfront properties were under threat, and a section of highway through the dunes was shut down.

    In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves stated that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers helped set up generators at critical locations, and around 79 shelters and warming centers were opened statewide.

    The frigid conditions also caused NASA to delay a key rocket fueling test scheduled at Cape Canaveral, Florida, jeopardizing at least a few days’ delay for a planned manned mission around the Moon set for later this month.

  • Deadly Winter Storm Claims 10 Lives Across the US

    Deadly Winter Storm Claims 10 Lives Across the US

    A massive storm moving across large parts of the United States has resulted in at least 10 fatalities, prompted road closure warnings, canceled over 19,000 flights since Saturday, and caused power outages affecting more than 840,000 customers nationwide. Tennessee reports over 300,000 residents without electricity, while Texas confirms three deaths, including a 16-year-old girl in a sledding accident. Louisiana has seen two deaths due to hypothermia.

    In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that five individuals had been found dead outdoors during the freezing weekend. Although he didn’t specify if weather conditions were the direct cause, he emphasized the extreme cold’s dangers, stating, “There is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold.”

    The storm also brought snow, sleet, and freezing rain to densely populated cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York, with authorities advising residents to stay indoors whenever possible. Emergency declarations cover at least 20 states plus Washington, D.C. As the cold system advances northeast, heavy snow and ice swept through these urban centers. Federal offices in many locations have been closed preemptively for Monday, and major airports in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York have canceled nearly all flights for the day.

    President Donald Trump, sheltering at the White House, took to his Truth Social platform on Saturday, saying, “We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!”

    The storm originates from an expansive polar vortex—an Arctic low-pressure system that, under certain conditions, stretches into an oval shape, dispersing frigid air across North America. Experts suggest that such disruptions may be linked to climate change but acknowledge that natural variability also plays a significant role. Trump questioned this connection, asking, “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???”

    The National Weather Service warns that the persistent ice and cold can cause prolonged power outages, extensive tree damage, and hazardous travel conditions, even in regions less accustomed to severe winter weather. Cold temperatures are expected to remain dangerous for up to a week in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, with wind chills possibly dipping below -50°F (-45°C), causing frostbite within minutes.

    Power outages continue to escalate, especially in the southern states where cold temperatures and ice have knocked out services for hundreds of thousands. State officials have advised residents to limit travel and stay indoors, emphasizing the life-threatening nature of the cold weather.