More than half a million Americans woke up without electricity on Tuesday as a massive winter storm swept across the country, bringing freezing temperatures and claiming at least 30 lives.
A life-threatening Arctic air mass threatens to slow recovery efforts as communities from New Mexico to Maine work to dig out from a punishing mix of heavy snow, high winds, freezing rain, and sleet.
Forecasters warned that much of the northern half of the country could remain “continuously below freezing through February 1,” according to the National Weather Service. The agency also reported record-low temperatures in southern states, which are less accustomed to extreme winter weather.
While skies were clearing in some areas, snow continued to pile up in the northeast, with parts of Connecticut seeing over 22 inches (56 cm) of accumulation and Boston, Massachusetts, recording more than 16 inches (40.6 cm).
Deadly Plane Crash
The storm has been linked to at least 30 deaths, compiled from state government and local media reports, with causes including hypothermia and accidents involving traffic, sledding, ATVs, and snowplows.
Seven people died when a small plane crashed during takeoff in Bangor, Maine, in the snowstorm, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
In New Jersey, a man was found unresponsive in the snow, a shovel still in his hand.
Eight additional deaths were reported in New York City amid plummeting temperatures, though authorities are still investigating whether all fatalities were directly storm-related.
Electricity began returning across parts of the south, but as of Tuesday morning, more than 540,000 customers remained without power, according to Poweroutage.com. Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana were among the hardest-hit southern states.
The storm also disrupted more than 9,000 flights, paralyzing transportation nationwide.
“We don’t know if we are going to make it or not. We’ve been here since Sunday,” Alan Vazquez told AFP at Dallas–Fort Worth Airport in Texas.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said trees continued to collapse under the weight of ice, sometimes knocking out power that had been restored. Cities across the country, including Nashville, have been setting up emergency warming shelters for residents.
National Weather Service meteorologist Allison Santorelli noted the challenge of recovering from a storm affecting so many states at once. Northern states with winter supplies were unable to share resources with less-prepared southern regions.
“A lot of those locations don’t have the means or the resources to clean up after these events,” she said. “We’re particularly concerned about the folks in those areas that are without power right now.”
Polar Vortex
The storm’s heavy snow and icy pellets made roads impassable and forced cancellations of thousands of buses, trains, and flights over the weekend.
Meteorologists said the system was caused by a stretched polar vortex — an Arctic area of cold, low-pressure air that normally forms a compact, circular system but occasionally elongates, sending frigid air deep into North America.
Scientists have suggested that the rising frequency of such events may be influenced by climate change, though natural variability also plays a role.
Dave Radell, a National Weather Service meteorologist in New York, said the snow was “very dry” and “fluffy,” which allows wind to blow it around easily, complicating road clearing and reducing visibility.
“That makes it even more challenging,” he added.