Thousands of power line workers were placed on standby and hundreds of flights were canceled Thursday as a massive winter storm moved toward the eastern two-thirds of the United States, threatening widespread power outages and wind chills as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Forecasters warned that damage in ice-affected areas could rival hurricane damage. About 160 million people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings as the storm was expected to begin Friday in New Mexico and Texas before moving east toward New England.
Storm scope and threat
A massive winter storm is expected to sweep across the eastern two-thirds of the United States beginning Friday, bringing an ice storm from Texas through parts of the South, potentially a foot of snow from Oklahoma through Boston, and wind chills as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Forecasters warned that the damage in ice-affected areas could rival hurricane damage. Ice adds hundreds of pounds to power lines and tree branches, making them susceptible to snapping, especially in windy weather. The long thaw could mean days without power in affected regions, with roads and sidewalks potentially remaining icy well into the following week.
About 160 million people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings as of Thursday.
Preparation cascades across region
Thousands of power line workers were placed on standby Thursday. CenterPoint Energy, which serves more than 2.8 million customers in the Houston area, had 3,300 employees ready to respond. Louisiana reported approximately 5,000 power line workers on standby.
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas said the power system “has never been stronger,” responding to concerns about a repeat of a severe cold snap five years ago that disabled much of the state’s grid and left millions without electricity.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger told residents to prepare for days without power or the ability to leave their neighborhoods. Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana called for residents to take the storm seriously, saying his team highlighted road preparations.
Chicago Public Schools and Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa canceled Friday classes after wind chills were predicted as low as minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Arkansas Department of Transportation urged people to stay home once the storm hit, even if clearing roads took days. North Carolina’s Wake County school system prepared for potentially several days of remote or paper-based instruction.
Transportation disruptions and public response
Airlines canceled about 250 flights scheduled for Friday and another 400 for Saturday. Airports in Dallas, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma were among those with the highest cancellation numbers.
At stores across the region, customers found bare shelves of bottled water, ice melt and snow shovels. At a Dallas grocery store, shoppers reported shortages of eggs, butter and ground meat. In Louisville, Kentucky, hardware store manager Matthew Isham said the storm “has people on edge,” with many expressing worry about being stranded at home.
Others took a more measured approach to preparation. Atlanta resident Jennifer Girard, who previously lived in Florida, noted the preparation resembled hurricane season readiness. In North Georgia, Carrie Gray obtained water storage jugs, charcoal for her grill, logs for a wood stove, and a heat lamp for her ducks.
Freezing temperatures were forecast all the way to Florida, and the arriving cold air meant melting would be slow, extending dangerous conditions well beyond the storm’s passage.