The eastern United States hit by a “major winter storm” – franceinfo

They come in warm. Millions of Americans took shelter on Sunday, January 16, when a “major winter storm” arrived in the eastern United States, causing power cuts affecting at least 145,000 people. the National Weather Service (NWS) estimates that up to 30 centimeters of snow could cover an area stretching from Tennessee and Georgia (southeast of the country) to Vermont and New York State (northeast), accompanied by strong winds and freezing rain. Winds could reach hurricane force on the Atlantic coast.

Several states reported traffic disruptions in the evening. Thousands of flights have been canceled and part of Interstate I95 closed in North Carolina. Motorists have been warned of “hazardous road conditions” and heavy traffic from Arkansas (south) to Maine (northeast).

As we get into the South Carolina area road maintenance is improving compared to I-77 on North Carolina’s side. Here’s a look at a snow plow from @SCDOTPress pic.twitter.com/GUO35vg8TG

— Shamarria Morrison (@SMorrisonTV) January 16, 2022

“Arctic air already in place in the central and eastern United States will combine with this dynamic system to create a thick layer of more than 30 centimeters of snow”, according to the NWS, which forecast along the Appalachian Mountain Range snowfall of 2.5 cm per hour on Monday and freezing conditions on Tuesday.

Florida (southeast), more accustomed to good weather even at this time of year, was indirectly affected when several tornadoes accompanied by snow, caused by this winter storm caused property damage and caused coastal flooding on Sunday , according to the Weather Channel.

From North and South Carolina up the Appalachians, ice and wind complicate the situation. The winter weather alert affects more than 80 million people, according to US media. Some 3,000 domestic or international flights were canceled by mid-afternoon on Sunday, according to the FlightAware website, and around 4,200 were delayed. The storm is expected to reach eastern Canada on Tuesday.