A winter storm of historic magnitude – “A ‘once in a generation’ winter storm” headlines CNN – is raging over much of the United States this week and according to forecasts it is turning into a “cyclone bomb”.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) has launched the alert for the dangerous cold conditions that the Arctic front is bringing with temperatures down to -35 degrees, blizzards, intense rain and strong winds. Temperatures will drop far below the average for the period on Thursday and Monday 26 December, according to the NWS.
The cold snap that began in the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday before moving east affects more than 90 million people in 37 states. Approximately 80% of the United States is expected to experience sub-zero temperatures. Southern states like Texas will be no exception.
Dubbed “Elliot” by the Weather Channel, the winter storm could bring the coldest Christmas since the late 1980s to the Midwest, where tornadoes are also feared.
The storm, which is already hitting parts of the United States with force, will bring heavy snow, strong winds and arctic temperatures in the coming days that extend from the Midwest to the Great Lakes and central Appalachians, according to the NWS.
Elliot’s arrival coincides with the mass travel period leading up to the holidays. The consequences for air, rail and road connections are already being felt. Bad weather is wreaking havoc at airports with long lines of travelers forced to change plans and alter their itinerary.
