A powerful winter storm claims at least 22 lives across the US as ...

CNN —

More than 315,000 homes and businesses nationwide were without power Christmas Eve, thanks to an Arctic blast and winter storm that tore down power lines with destructive winds and heavy snow and dipped temperatures dangerously low – conditions killing at least 22 people.

As bone-chilling air continues to grip the US this holiday weekend, the storm still is pummeling parts of the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast with heavy snow and blizzard conditions.

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In New York’s Buffalo area particularly, heavy snow (more than 2 feet in places) and strong winds (sometimes higher than 60 mph) at times made visibility close to zero Friday into Saturday. More than a foot more could fall Saturday, with winds gusting up to 65 mph and making temperatures feel well below zero.

In Erie County, which includes Buffalo, blizzard conditions are expected to continue through at least Sunday morning, County Executive Mark Poloncarz told reporters Saturday. The winter storm could continue for at least the next 36 hours, with the blizzard warning in effect until 7 a.m. Christmas morning, Poloncarz said.

“This is still a life-threatening situation,” he said. “This is nothing to be trifled with.”

The county’s Deputy Commissioner of Disaster Preparedness and Homeland Security, Gregory Butcher, said the storm will be significant “for days to come.”

About 500 motorists found themselves stranded in their vehicles in Erie County Friday night into Saturday morning, and a “couple hundred” may still be trapped early Saturday afternoon, Poloncarz told CNN. That’s despite a county driving ban put in place during the storm.

Lia Belles’ 85-year-old grandmother and her father were among the stranded.

They have been stuck on New York State Route 198 in Buffalo – less than a mile from her home – since Friday afternoon. Contact with them is limited due to their phone battery, and they have been turning the heat on and off to save gas.

“There is nothing more I want other than their safety right now,” Belles told CNN Saturday, adding that her dad could walk home but he would never leave his mother alone.

“I’ve tried to walk out to them with a sled but conditions by myself were just impossible,” she said.

Belles said by Saturday afternoon they got help getting the car unstuck but there was no path for them to leave.

“It’s very nerve racking and difficult,” she said. “They’re definitely exhausted, but we’re seeing a little hope right now.”

In hardest-hit areas, many emergency crews that tried to reach the stranded became stuck themselves, Poloncarz said.

“Don’t leave your home,” Poloncarz said on CNN Saturday to anyone thinking about traveling to or within the area. “It’s much safer to be inside, even if you lost your power with it only being 45 degrees inside, than going out and dealing with minus 20 wind chills and blinding conditions.”

National Guard troops were arriving Saturday to “rescue people that are stuck in vehicles,” and to give rides to medical workers so they could relieve colleagues who’d been working at hospitals for more than a day, Poloncarz said.

Buffalo Diocese Bishop Michael W. Fisher on Saturday urged churches to livestream Christmas Mass because of the severe weather.

“Although it is Christmas, in these dangerous conditions, no one should put themselves or others at risk,” he said via Twitter.

Even where it wasn’t snowing and howling, temperatures and wind chills have been dangerously low across much of the country.

From the Plains and the Midwest to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and even in parts of the Southeast, wind chills after the sun rose Saturday morning were below zero, according to the National Weather Service.

That included:

• Atlanta: 9 degrees; with minus 8 wind chill

• Memphis: 10 degrees; with minus 4 wind chill

• New York City: 8 degrees; with minus 8 wind chill

• St. Louis: 9 degrees; with minus 12 wind chill

• Washington, DC: 12 degrees; with minus 3 wind chill

At least 22 people have died since Wednesday across seven states, a result of dangerous and life-threatening conditions this week over a large swath of the country:

• Colorado: Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building possibly looking for warmth, and another in a transient camp in an alleyway.

• Kansas: Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Kansas Highway Patrol said Friday.

• Kentucky: Three people have died in the state, officials have said, including one involving a vehicle accident in Montgomery County.

• Missouri: One person died after a caravan slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said.

• New York: Erie County has had three storm-related deaths, county officials said Saturday. Two died in separate incidents Friday night when emergency medical personnel could not get to their homes in time for medical emergencies, Poloncarz said Saturday morning. Details about the third death, confirmed by a county spokesperson Saturday afternoon, weren’t immediately available.

• Ohio: Eight people have died as a result of weather-related auto accidents, including four in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 75, when a semi tractor-trailer crossed the median and collided with an SUV and a pickup, authorities said.

• Tennessee: The Tennessee Department of Health on Friday confirmed one storm-related fatality.

• Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Patrol on Thursday reported one fatal crash due to winter weather.

Snow blankets buildings in Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday, December 28. Joed Viera/AFP/Getty Images National Guard troops check on Buffalo residents on December 28. Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP A traveler searches for luggage December 28 at a Southwest Airlines baggage holding area in Denver International Airport. More than 90% of Wednesday's US flight cancellations were Southwest flights, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Southwest canceled more than 2,500 flights. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images People help push a car out of snow in Buffalo on Tuesday, December 27. John Normile/Getty Images Niagara Falls in New York is partially frozen on December 27. Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Travelers at Baltimore/Washington International Airport deal with the impact of canceled flights on December 27. Michael McCoy/Reuters A gas station canopy lays on its side after high winds and heavy snow in Lackawanna, New York, on December 27. The historic winter storm dumped up to 4 feet of snow on the area. John Normile/Getty Images Hundreds of unclaimed suitcases sit near the Southwest Airlines baggage claim area in Tennessee's Nashville International Airport after the airline canceled thousands of flights on December 27. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images A street is blanketed by snow in downtown Buffalo on Monday, December 26. Gov. Kathy Hochul/Twitter/AP A person clears a snow-covered driveway in Buffalo on December 26. Faith Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A man and a boy walk across the frozen Reflecting Pool towards the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on December 26. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters carry rescue equipment as they respond to a fire on a snow-covered street in Buffalo on Sunday, December 25. Jalen Wright/The New York Times/Redux Snow blankets a neighborhood in Cheektowaga, New York, on Christmas Day. Western New York is drowning in thick "lake effect" snow -- which forms when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Great Lakes -- just one month after the region was slammed with a historic snowstorm. John Waller via AP A man tries to dig out his car after he got stuck in a snowdrift about a block from home in Buffalo on Saturday, December 24. Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP Icicles created by a sprinkler hang from an orange tree in Clermont, Florida, on December 24. Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A young holiday traveler passes the time at Detroit Wayne County Metro Airport on December 24. Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images Pedestrians deal with the cold in Chicago on December 24. Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP Hoak's Restaurant in Hamburg, New York, is seen covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie on December 24. Kevin Hoak via Reuters Nissan Stadium employees clear the field in Nashville before the an NFL football game on December 24. Mark Zaleski/AP Amanda Kelly cleans off snow and ice from her car in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, December 23. Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Cars drive in whiteout conditions in Orchard Park, New York, on December 23. Mark Mulville/The Buffalo News/AP Travelers sleep while lines of people pass through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport. David Zalubowski/AP Snow-covered buildings are seen in Louisville, Kentucky. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images The waters of Lake Erie wash over the shoreline in Hamburg, New York, on December 23. John Normile/Getty Images Snow collects on a bison at the Longfield Farm in Goshen, Kentucky, on December 23. Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal/USA Today Network Volunteers welcome a homeless person to a shelter at Louisville's Broadbent Arena on December 23. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images Stones are removed from a road in Westport, Massachusetts, after a storm surge made landfall, flooding many coastal areas on December 23. Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times/AP The Louisville skyline is obscured by steam rising from the Ohio River on December 23. Matt Stone/The Louisville Courier/USA Today Network Antonio Smothers jump-starts his vehicle in Nashville on December 23. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images Rows of headstones at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery are blanketed by drifting snow in Mandan on Thursday, December 22. Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune/AP Migrants warm themselves by a fire next to the US-Mexico border fence on December 22 in El Paso, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images Robert Arnold puts chains onto the tires of his semitrailer while he waits for the eastbound lane of I-70 to reopen in Silverthorne, Colorado, on December 22. Jason Connolly/AFP/Getty Images A musician departs following a show on Broadway in Nashville on December 22. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images Brady Myers helps turn the Stewpot Community Services day shelter for the unhoused into an emergency overnight shelter in Jackson, Mississippi, on December 22. Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger/USA Today Network Vehicles travel along Interstate 44 on December 22, in St. Louis. Jeff Roberson/AP A person walks through the snow on December 22 in downtown Minneapolis. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP A clean car passes a snow-covered car in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall/AP Travelers walk in front of flight information screens at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on December 22. Nam Y. Huh/AP Ice collects on a window in Oklahoma City on December 22. Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network Bus riders wait at a sheltered stop in Chicago on December 22. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP An accident involving a semi-tractor-trailer blocks the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 in West Des Moines on December 22. Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register/AP Kids shovel snow off a sidewalk and driveway in Minneapolis on December 22. Abbie Parr/AP Travelers arrive for their flights at O'Hare International Airport on December 22 in Chicago. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images Mist rises above ice flows on the Yellowstone River on December 22 in Paradise Valley, Montana. William Campbell/Getty Images Students walk to school buses after early dismissal at a middle school in Wheeling, Illinois, on December 22. Nam Y. Huh/AP Miguel Salazar clears sidewalks in Denver on December 22. Hyoung Chang/Denver Post/Getty Images Travelers arrive at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on December 21. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP Salt is prepared to be loaded onto a truck at the Department of Public Works sanitation yard in Milwaukee on December 21. Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/AP Propane heaters sit next to pens at the City of Mission Animal Shelter in Mission, Texas, on December 21. Joel Martinez/The Monitor/AP Crews de-ice a Southwest Airlines plane before takeoff in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 21. Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald/AP An Iowa Department of Transportation plow clears a road in Iowa City on December 21. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press Citizen/AP Snow covers homes in Seattle on December 20. Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times/AP In pictures: Winter storm impacts the US Prev Next

National Guard troops helping rescue stranded in Buffalo area

As of 9:45 p.m ET Saturday, 315,782 homes and businesses in the US had no electricity service, according to PowerOutage.us, leaving many people without proper heating or hot water as extremely low temperatures persist Saturday.

A power grid operator for at least 13 states in the country’s eastern half asked customers to conserve power from early Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday because usage was straining capacity – and warned rolling blackouts could happen if the strain becomes too much.

The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves about 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

PJM advised people to set thermostats lower than usual and postpone using major electric appliances such as stoves and dishwashers.

In a video on Twitter, a company official said the risk of rotating customer outages is “very real.”

In Tennessee, utilities intermittently interrupted power to customers for a few hours Saturday morning at the behest of the Tennesee Valley Authority – the state’s federally owned electricity provider – because the frigid weather was straining capacity.

The Nashville Electric Service told customers Saturday morning to expect “rotating, intermittent power outages” in about 10-minute increments every 90 minutes to two hours.

The TVA announced shortly before 11 a.m. CT that the interruptions were no longer needed.

In a statement the TVA said it will conduct “a thorough review of our processes, procedures and preparations once we get beyond this unprecedented event.”

During the rolling blackouts, Nashville’s mayor asked the NFL’s Tennessee Titans to postpone their scheduled noon CT Saturday home game against the Houston Texans. The NFL delayed the start for an hour, and said it explored “every possibility to minimize non-essential power around the stadium.”

Snow-covered buildings are seen in Louisville, Kentucky, under freezing temperatures on December 23. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images

More than 5,000 flights were canceled Friday with thousands more delayed, and more than 3,300 flights have been canceled Saturday, and more than 800 are already canceled for Christmas Day.

The NFL’s Buffalo Bills defeated the Chicago Bears in Chicago Saturday, but lost out to the weather. Due to Buffalo’s airport being closed due to deep snow and strong winds, the team was forced to stay in Chicago an extra night. They are expected to fly to Rochester, New York, on Sunday, and travel back to Buffalo from there.

What else to expect Christmas Eve

• Cold for many: Wind chills will be dangerously cold across much of the central and eastern US this weekend. “The life-threatening cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that become stranded,” the National Weather Service said early Saturday.

• Record temps in the South: Atlanta and Tallahassee, Florida, were forecast to have their coldest high temperature ever recorded on December 24, according to the weather service.

• Brutal cold elsewhere: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were expected to see their coldest day Christmas Eve ever on Saturday. Washington, DC, could see its second-coldest on Christmas Eve, the first being in 1989. New York is set to experience its coldest Christmas Eve since 1906. Chicago is expecting temperatures to rebound above zero but will still experience its coldest Christmas Eve since 1983.

Aya Elamroussi Jason Hanna Ray Sanchez
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US heatwave: As enormous heat dome shifts eastward, stifling heat ...

CNN —

The persistent heat dome which imposed oppressively high temperatures on the northern Plains and Midwest over the weekend will begin to shift further eastward this week, ending a short reprieve many states in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic have had in recent days.

In the coming week, about 70% of the US population will see temperatures in the 90s, and almost 20% of people in the country will experience temperatures greater than 100 degrees. Many major metro areas, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans and Atlanta, may experience temps near or above 100.

More than 100 high temperature records could be broken this week, mainly across the southern and eastern regions of the US.

In Minnesota, where cities like St. Paul and Minneapolis are under an extreme heat warning, roads are already starting to buckle under the heat, including two in the Minneapolis area, CNN affiliate KARE reported.

The thermometer hit 101 degrees in the Twin Cities Monday afternoon, after earlier setting a daily high of 99 degrees, the National Weather Service there tweeted. The heat index was 105.

Many areas expected to set records were also hit with extreme heat last week when a massive heat dome brought triple-digit temperatures to states across the eastern US and Midwest, breaking record daily highs in several cities.

This past weekend saw several new daily record high temperatures, including in New Orleans, which clocked a high of 97 degrees, and in Mobile, Alabama, which surpassed its 1913 record of 100 degrees when it inched up to 101 degrees on Saturday.

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As of early Monday morning, more than nine million people were under heat alerts across eight states in the northern and central US, including Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Kansas.

But this number is expected to increase throughout the week as the heat continues to build across the northern Plains, Midwest and Gulf Coast on Monday, potentially bringing triple-digit temperature records as it progresses into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic on Tuesday.

Power providers in the Southeast told CNN they are prepared for the second heat wave in a week.

Austin CapMetro buses offer free rides allowing passengers a space to cool off as extreme heat hits Austin, Texas, on June 17, 2022. Jordan Vonderhaar/Reuters

“This is our ‘Super Bowl’ that we prepare all year for. We are ready to go!” Tennessee Valley Authority Spokesman Scott Fiedler said in a statement.

Entergy, which supplies power to parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Orleans, and Texas, said it is expecting to see the highest energy use by customers this week that the company has ever seen.

Many communities battling the heat may not get much relief at night, either, as 100 overnight low temp records are forecast to be broken throughout the week.

The continuing heat follows a week in which extreme weather struck millions of people across the US. In addition to the massive heat dome, historic flooding inundated Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding communities, wildfires blazed in Arizona and New Mexico, and severe storms in the upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley caused widespread power outages.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including about 180,000 in Ohio, had to endure a heat wave without electricity due to the outages.

Heat-related illness is a major concern

Though most heat-related illnesses are preventable through outreach and intervention efforts, they are still the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Extremely high temperatures can lead to common heat-related conditions such as heatstroke and heat exhaustion, which occur when the body is unable to properly cool itself. It can also impose significant strain on the heart and make breathing more difficult.

Infants, children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses or mental health problems are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, though young and healthy people may be affected, too, if they are doing strenuous activity in excessive temperatures, according to the CDC.

While children do not die from heat-related illnesses as much as the elderly, a study published in January found “climate shocks” like sweltering heat waves can cumulatively affect a child’s long-term health. Over time, such events may contribute to significantly higher rates of substance abuse and health problems like cancer and heart disease, researchers said.

As climate change drives temperatures higher, scientists expect heat to make even more people ill, especially because heat waves are becoming more frequent.

In the 1960s, Americans saw an average of two heat waves a year, but by the 2010s, the average increased to six per year, according to the EPA.

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Bangladesh blackout: Most of country left without power after ...

Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters —

Large swathes of Bangladesh were left without electricity on Tuesday after a partial grid failure, a government official said, adding that authorities were working to gradually restore power supply in the country of 168 million people.

The country’s power grid malfunctioned around 2 p.m. (4 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, leading to blackouts across 75-80% of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Power Development Board official Shameem Hasan told Reuters.

“We are trying to restore the system,” Hasan said, adding that utilities were currently producing around 4,500 megawatts (MW) of power, compared with nationwide demand of 14,200 MW.

An investigation is underway to ascertain the reason for the grid’s collapse, Hasan said.

Bangladesh peak power demand on Tuesday was 3% higher than the 13,800 MW forecast earlier this week by the Bangladesh Power Development Board, according to government data.

“Hopefully within three hours, power supply will be restored in Dhaka,” Junior Power Minister Nasrul Hamid said, referring to Bangladesh’s capital city, which is home to some 20 million people.

Many parts of Bangladesh have experienced frequent power cuts this year despite efforts to ration gas supplies amid high global natural gas prices.

Natural gas accounts for nearly three-quarters of the country’s power generation.

Over a third of the 77 gas-powered units in Bangladesh were facing a gas shortage, government data showed on Tuesday.

Power demand growth in Bangladesh in recent years has largely been driven by the residential segment, compared with industries.

Winter storm updates: Deaths reported; widespread power outages

A powerful winter storm kept pummeling the United States on Christmas Eve with dangerously cold temperatures and heavy snow – leaving in its wake fatal car crashes, thousands of canceled flights and millions at risk for future power outages.

The massive footprint of the winter weather and its timing during a busy holiday travel week makes the arctic blast particularly dangerous. The National Weather Service on Friday said its warnings and advisories covered about 200 million people – "one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” forecasters said.

Nationwide, officials have attributed at least 18 deaths to the storm.

In Ohio, about 50 vehicles were involved in a pileup that killed at least 4. An 82-year-old woman was found dead outside of her assisted care facility in Michigan on Friday amid dangerously cold temperatures. And in the Buffalo, New York, area – which received stunning records of rain and snowfall on Friday – two people died in their homes after emergency responders couldn't reach them amid the city's historic blizzard conditions.

COLD WEATHER AND GLOBAL WARMING: Freezing temps don't disprove climate change

TRAVEL:More than 5,000 US flights canceled amid winter storm. What to know about waivers.

The winter weather's dangers are often localized and not limited to snowfall. In New York, blizzard conditions created whiteouts and stranded motorists on the state's western side while flooding prompted water rescues on the eastern side.

Meanwhile, bone-numbing wind chills extended throughout the country. Every state in the contiguous U.S. will experience minimum wind chills below freezing on Christmas or before, the weather service says.

Only a few regions in the U.S. are expected to escape bitter cold over Christmas — parts of California, Oregon, Arizona and Florida are among the few spots in the nation that won't experience wind chills below freezing, the weather service predicts.

PHOTOS:Intense winter storm blows across the US with blizzards and bitter cold

Other impacts from the storm kept accumulating Saturday. Power outage reports swelled up to some 1.7 million Saturday morning before falling significantly in the afternoon – and thousands of flights were canceled amid a busy holiday travel season.

"Severe weather across the country led to more than 20% of flights being canceled (Friday). Impacts continue today but FAA expects that the most extreme disruptions are behind us as airline and airport operations gradually recover," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg wrote on Twitter Saturday.

Buttigieg also noted that "many Amtrak services have been canceled or delayed as well." He cautioned those traveling by car this weekend to observe local warnings and weather hazards.

When will the winter storm be over?

Not before Christmas.

Federal forecasters expect a huge mass of cold air to continue affecting the nation into next week. Those temperatures are a concern from the Dakotas to Florida even on Monday and Tuesday.

"Wind chills will still bottom out in the 20s and low 30s Monday and Tuesday morning for most locations in the South outside of south Florida," a Friday forecast says.

But low temperatures are forecasters' primary concern for most of the country by Monday. Flooding, rain and other hazards are only expected to affect more localized regions.

NY governor says storm is 'one of the worst in history'; record Buffalo snow

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the snowstorm hitting western parts of the state, particularly the Buffalo area, as "one of the worst in history" at a press briefing Saturday morning.

Hochul, who issued a statewide State of Emergency that went into effect early Friday, also pointed to the storm's impact on transportation hazards and emergency response. Every fire truck in Buffalo, she said, was stranded and stuck in snow as of Saturday morning.

"No matter how many emergency vehicles we have, they cannot get through the conditions as we speak," Hochul said.

According to the weather service, Buffalo reported a daily snowfall of 22.3 inches Friday – almost doubling the old record of 12.6 inches set in 1976. The city also reported 1.98 inches of rain on Friday, surpassing the 1876 record of 1.73 inches.

Watch:'Zero-Mile' visibility as Buffalo Airfield closes on night before Christmas Eve

"In Buffalo, this storm will likely at least jump near the top of the list of worst blizzards in the city’s history, if not even becoming the worst," meteorologist Jake Sojda said in an AccuWeather article. "Four to 6 feet of snow will fall by Sunday and coupled with wind gusts approaching hurricane force (74 mph or greater) to create enormous drifts and impossible travel."

In addition to Hochul's declaration, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown issued a State of Emergency beginning Friday morning.

"I’ve never seen the likes of this kind of storm,” Colleen Darby, 59, a lifelong resident of the area, told The Associated Press. "I can’t even get out of my house right now. The snow is up to my chest."

Hochul said on Saturday that she will also ask the federal government for an emergency declaration, which would allow New York to seek reimbursements for the "extraordinary expenses" undertaken with overtime, mutual aid brought in from around the state and the deployment of crews responding to the unprecedented storm.

Thousands of flight delays, cancellations on Christmas Eve

Travelers heading to airports on Christmas Eve are facing thousands of flight delays and cancellations.

FlightAware, an online tracker, reported Saturday as of 4:00 p.m. ET, more than 6,100 delays and over 2,600 cancellations for flights within, into or out of the U.S.

FlightAware's "Misery Map" showed more than 900 delays and over 250 cancellations seen between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET Saturday – with Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Denver International Airport experiencing the highest number of flight delays and cancellations as of Saturday afternoon.

Friday saw even more flights impacted – with FlightAware reporting a total more than 11,500 U.S. flight delays and over 5,900 U.S. flight cancellations.

Power outages hit more than 1 million homes, business early Saturday

On Saturday, power outages impacted more than a million electric customers across the country, according to the website PowerOutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

Reports swelled to about 1.7 million before falling significantly Saturday afternoon. North Carolina and Maine reported the highest number of power outages Saturday afternoon.

In Tennessee and North Carolina, utility companies initiated controlled, temporary outages in efforts to save energy. Customers of Memphis, Light, Gas and Water and Duke Energy, for example, were impacted by these rolling blackouts Saturday morning.

Both companies confirmed that they were ending the temporary outages by mid-day Saturday. But similar action could still be taken in the future.

"The weather is still frigid and power demand may fluctuate. We are asking customers to be prepared in the event (the Tennessee Valley Authority) implements rolling blackouts. We could be required to do so at any time without notice. We are currently restoring power to all customers who are interrupted," Memphis, Light, Gas and Water CEO Doug McGowen said in a statement issued at 11 a.m. CT.

Pennsylvania-based PJM Interconnection said that, due to the severe weather, power plants were having difficulty operating – asking residents in 13 states to refrain from unnecessary use of electricity. The major electricity grid operator also warned the 65 million people it serves across the eastern U.S. that future rolling blackouts might be required.

Be prepared::How to arm your home against power outages this winter

Authorities urge people to stay home in many areas

Local and state authorities in states including Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky have urged residents to limit travel.

Michigan State Police on Friday warned travelers to stay off the roads.

“Most roads are icy and impacted by blowing snow, which is causing low visibility,” police posted on Facebook. “If travel is not necessary, please stay home.”

Some forecasters have said the storm's danger doesn't primarily come from the amount of snowfall — it's a combination of snow, wind, ice and frigid temperatures that were particularly concerning in some areas.

"Don't focus too much on the snow totals ... Significant blowing and drifting will be occurring. Avoid travel!" the weather service in Buffalo said Friday afternoon.

Bomb cyclones are powerful winter storms. Here's a visual breakdown of how they're created.

The weather service office reported recieving numerous reports Friday night of people being stranded along roadways.

What is the polar vortex?

According to the weather service, the polar vortex is a giant, circular area of rotating cold air and low pressure that surrounds both of Earth's poles. In the U.S., focus remains on the North Pole's polar vortex – because it impacts weather in the Northern Hemisphere.

People may only talk about the polar vortex when it sends frigid temperatures south of the Arctic – but it always exists, the weather service notes, its strength changing between seasons.

What is the polar vortex? In-depth look at how it can affect winter weather in the US.

When the polar vortex is stable and strong, it typically stays near the North Pole. But when it weakens or splits, frigid air can escape, funneling freezing temperatures farther south to the U.S., Europe and Asia.

What is wind chill?

Meteorologists define wind chill as how cold it feels while outdoors, and it’s based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by the wind-and-cold combination, according to the National Weather Service. Increased wind draws heat from the body, which then lowers the temperature of the skin and internal body.

“Frostbite may develop on exposed skin in as few as 10-20 mins, and hypothermia can quickly develop if you're not dressed for the cold,” weather service experts in Chicago warned Thursday.

Contributing: The Associated Press. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY. Samuel Hardiman, Memphis Commercial Appeal. Bryce Airgood and Mark Johnson, Lansing State Journal.

Nationwide winter storm set to bring everything from blizzard ...

CNN —

A large winter storm slammed into the western US over the weekend, blanketing mountain areas with heavy snow, and is now set to traverse the nation, threatening dangerous blizzard conditions, strong tornadoes, and flooding this week.

“This winter storm is a true coast-to-coast, top-to-bottom impact that will be felt by every person in the country at some point this week,” CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

The storm already brought avalanche warnings to parts of the West, shutting down major highways as conditions became icy.

Almost 15 million people in over a dozen states are under some level of winter weather alert as the powerful storm moves across the county, bringing with it a multiday severe storm threat.

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The storm will strengthen as it travels eastward, bringing snow to the Rockies tonight, where a foot of snow is expected before the system strengthens even more.

The Upper Midwest, and northern and central Plains will get hit the hardest Monday night into Tuesday as widespread heavy snow falls.

“Snow accumulations through Tuesday morning will generally range between 6 to 12 inches, centered on the Northern High Plains,” the US weather prediction center said. “The highest snow totals are currently forecast for western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, where upwards of 18 to 24 inches is possible.”

Meanwhile, a widespread area from eastern Wyoming and Colorado to western South Dakota and Nebraska will also have winds gusts as high as 60 mph. Heavy snowfall and strong winds will set the stage for a blizzard, leading to whiteout conditions and impossible travel.

Blizzard conditions are when there are sustained winds of 35 mph or higher and visibility below a quarter mile for at least three consecutive hours.

Winter storm alerts stretch from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and blizzard warnings extend from just west of Denver into the Dakotas.

“All preparations for this storm should be well underway and completed sooner rather than later,” the National Weather Service office in Rapid City said.

Some locales inside the blizzard warning areas could pick up as much as 20 inches of snow. The winds could be strong enough to knock down tree limbs and cause power outages, and the harsh conditions could be deadly for anyone outdoors.

“The cold wind chills, as low as 20 below zero, could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes,” the weather service office in Cheyenne, Wyoming, said.

Farther east, ice warnings blanket eastern North Dakota, where nearly half an inch of ice could accumulate. If it materializes, power outages are certain and travel will be impossible.

Icing is also possible across southwestern Minnesota and western Iowa, where as much as a tenth of an inch of ice could develop.

Even Anchorage schools are closed

While the Anchorage school district builds two snow days into the calendar, the system has been closed for four.

“It’s very unusual. Unsafe road conditions have prevented us from returning to school,” Anchorage School District spokesperson MJ Thim said.

The current snow depth in Anchorage, Alaska, is 31 inches, making it the greatest since March 27, 2012, according to a tweet from Alaska climate scientist Brian Brettschneider.

Between 12 and 24 inches of snow fell in the region Sunday into Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. It was second significant snow storm in less than a week.

Thim said officials are looking at their options, including remote learning, depending on future snowfall totals.

Multiday severe storm threat

While the storm brings whiteout conditions to the North, the southern section of the storm will have the potential to bring late-season tornadoes along with strong thunderstorms.

On Monday evening, storms will fire up across western Kansas, as well as across portions of Texas and Oklahoma. The Storm Prediction Center is expecting storms to rapidly develop tonight, after dark.

A Level 2 of 5 risk of severe weather has been issued for the area, including Oklahoma City and Norman in Oklahoma as well as Colby and Garden City in Kansas, and Wichita Falls in Texas.

“Occasional damaging winds, isolated large hail, and a couple of tornadoes will be possible tonight,” the Storm Prediction Center said.

Track the storms as they develop here.

As the storm system strengthens and pushes eastward on Tuesday, the possibility of damaging winds, hail, flash flooding and even strong tornadoes will be a concern for portions of the Deep South, especially central Louisiana and eastern Texas.

“All modes of severe will be possible with damaging winds, hail and some more late fall tornadoes,” the weather service office in Shreveport said.

Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria in Louisiana are in a Level 3 of 5 risk for severe weather. Dallas, Fort Worth, and New Orleans are under a Level 2 risk.

Jennifer Gray Haley Brink
Jennifer Gray
Haley Brink

North Carolina 'targeted' outage attack latest in power grid threats

A shooting that damaged two power substations in a North Carolina county, leaving thousands of homes without power, has been deemed a "targeted" attack, as officials warn of threats to the nationwide infrastructure.

Days before the attack, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin through its National Terrorism Advisory System warning that the “United States remains in a heightened threat environment” and “lone offenders and small groups” may commit acts of violence on various targets, including critical infrastructure in the country.

The bulletin follows a report made in January, in which the DHS warned that domestic extremists have been developing “credible, specific plans” to attack electricity infrastructure since at least 2020.

Extremists “adhering to a range of ideologies will likely continue to plot and encourage physical attacks against electrical infrastructure,” the report warned.

More than 6,400 power plants and 450,000 miles of transmission lines run across the country.

After the two electrical substations in Moore County, North Carolina, were shot up, thousands of utility customers had no power for several days. At the height of the outage, more than 45,000 customers were left in the dark amid freezing temperatures.

“It was targeted; it wasn’t random," said Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields at a news conference Sunday.

It was the latest of a number of threats to the power grid over the last decade. In 2013, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered grid operators to increase security following a sniper attack on a California power substation. The case remains unsolved but caused power outages and millions of people were advised to conserve energy.

A Utah man was arrested in 2016 and was later sentenced to federal prison after he used a rifle to shoot the cooling fins on a substation, which caused the substation to overheat and fail. The man had planned to attack other substations to take down power in portions of the western United States, court documents said.

'IT WASN'T RANDOM': Outages in North Carolina county could last days after 'targeted' attack on substations

What happened in Moore County?

The outages began at about 7 p.m. Saturday in Carthage, North Carolina, after one or more people "opened fire" at two substations, according to Fields. Outages then spread through portions of central and southern Moore County, Fields said.

All households in Moore County had regained power by Wednesday night, according to Duke Energy's outage map.

Duke Energy, a North Carolina-based power company, previously estimated that power would be restored by Thursday morning. But the company said it was able to fix or replace all of the equipment that had been damaged in the attack.

As the company finished testing and restoring the equipment, the company said customers were able to gradually get power back throughout the day on Wednesday.

The company hadalso implemented "rolling power-ups" to give power in two- to three-hour waves to some customers in the northern part of Moore County during the outage, according to Sam Stephenson, a power delivery specialist for Duke Energy.

Moore County has a population of about 100,000 people and is about an hour's drive southwest of Raleigh, North Carolina.

GRAPHICS:Locations of North Carolina power substations attacked by gunfire

'A wake-up call to provide better security'

While investigators have not released a motive or identified a suspect, officials have called for improvements in critical infrastructure.

Mike Causey, the North Carolina insurance commissioner and state fire marshal, called the attack “a wake-up call to provide better security at our power substations.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that the state, county, and Duke Energy were offering combined rewards of up to $75,000 total for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the attack.

“An attack on our critical infrastructure will not be tolerated,” Cooper said in a statement Wednesday.

The FBI also posted a notice on Wednesday seeking information related to the attack for the investigation.

Cooper had addressed short-term and long-term plans for the county early Tuesday and called for an assessment of the state's critical infrastructure during the monthly Council of State meeting, which includes how to prevent future attacks and bolstering security.

The state has sent generators to the county and is helping feed residents, Cooper said during the meeting. Substations nearby are also being closely monitored by law enforcement.

“This seemed to be too easy,” Cooper said after the meeting. “People knew what they were doing to disable the substation, and for that much damage to be caused — causing so much problem, economic loss, safety challenges to so many people for so long."

'IT COULD HAPPEN TOMORROW':Experts know disaster upon disaster looms for West Coast

Residents were left in the dark

Moore County residents without power faced below-freezing temperatures overnight but milder temperatures were expected for Tuesday night and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Businesses and all county schools remained closed Tuesday. Moore County Schools said all schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. The county state of emergency curfew that was in place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. will end early Thursday, according to an alert from the county.

Meals and water were distributed to residents at various businesses and the local food bank during the outage.

An emergency shelter at the county sports complex in Carthage had about 54 people on Monday night, an increase from 19 people the night before. Many other residents stopped by the shelter for food, warmth, showers or to charge their devices.

Bryan Phillips, director of Moore County Public Safety, said officials were working to determine if a death in the county was related to a medical condition or to the power outage. The resident who died was without power, he said.

Contributing: The Fayetteville Observer; The Associated Press

China's worst heat wave on record is crippling power supplies. How ...

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.

Hong Kong CNN —

For weeks now, a power crunch caused by a record heat wave and accompanying drought has wreaked havoc across Sichuan, a province home to 80 million people in southwestern China.

It’s dimmed skyscrapers, shut factories, darkened subways, and plunged homes and offices into rolling blackouts, forcing air conditioning to be unplugged – and killed thousands of poultry and fish at farms hit by electricity cuts.

The impact has been felt far and wide, from the neighboring mega city of Chongqing and the eastern provinces along the Yangtze River to the financial hub of Shanghai – where the iconic skyline went dark this week to save energy.

In a country that prides itself on economic growth and stability, the acute power shortage has come as a shock to residents who in recent decades have grown used to improved living conditions and infrastructure.

To many, extended power cuts revive memories of the distant past – a bygone era before China’s economic rise ushered in its glitzy metropolises and lifted millions out of poverty.

And now, climate change is threatening to disrupt that sense of security and economic growth.

A villager walks in a cracked paddy field amid a severe drought in Neijiang, Sichuan province. Huang Zhenghua/VCG/Getty Images

The ongoing heat wave is the worst China has seen since records began more than 60 years ago. It has stretched over 70 days, sweeping through large swathes of the country and smashing temperature records at hundreds of weather stations.

The sheer size of China’s economy and population means any major disruption to its power supply can cause massive loss and suffering.

“These so-called extreme weather events will have more impact on our lives and electricity supply,” said Li Shuo, climate adviser with Greenpeace in Beijing. “And perhaps we all need to reconsider whether these extreme events will become the new normal.”

Experts say the Sichuan power crunch is an example that China’s energy system is far less robust than it needs to be to face the growing challenges from climate change.

Some believe the industry is heading in the right direction toward reform, while others worry it will turn to building more coal-fired power plants to secure energy supply – and risk undermining China’s pledges to reach peak carbon by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

How did the power crunch happen?

Located along the upper reaches of the Yangtze, China’s longest and largest river, Sichuan is famous for its rich water resources and relies mostly on hydropower.

Amid scorching temperatures and a prolonged drought, reservoirs across Sichuan are drying up – crippling the hydropower stations that account for nearly 80% of the province’s power generation capacity.

This month, Sichuan has seen its hydroelectricity capacity plunge by 50%, according to the state grid. Meanwhile, the unrelenting heat wave has pushed power demand to unprecedented highs, as residents and businesses blast their air conditioning to stay cool.

An ariel view of the Baihetan hydropower station that straddles the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan in southwest China. Cao Mengyao/Xinhua/Getty Images/FILE

“China’s electricity demand has been incredibly flat in the past, because so much of it has come from the industry, not from households or services. Now with air conditioning becoming more common, the demand is becoming higher,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki, Finland (CREA).

“At the same time, rains are becoming more errant. Heavy rains and periods of drought make hydropower much less reliable as a source of available capacity during those peaks.”

To make matters worse, Sichuan is traditionally a huge exporter of power during the rainy season, sending about a third of its hydropower generation to provinces in eastern China, according to David Fishman, an analyst on Chinese energy at consultancy The Lantau Group.

Despite its crippled power generation capacity, Sichuan must still honor its export contracts with other provinces, which Fishman said could “be really hard to get out of.”

“But even if they could, the generating facilities in Sichuan were built to export power to the east coast,” he said. “They don’t really have great connectivity to the rest of the Sichuan grid. They were never intended to serve Sichuan power consumption needs.”

‘Quenching a thirst with poison’

To ease the energy crunch, Sichuan is firing up its coal power plants, raising concerns among environmentalists about the potential increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Sichuan Guang’an Power Generation, the region’s biggest coal-fired power plant, has been operating at full capacity for 21 consecutive days. Its electricity generation for August is expected to jump 313% from a year earlier, the company said.

The province is also mining more coal. Sichuan Coal Industry Group, its largest coal miner, has more than doubled its thermal coal production since mid-August. And last week, Sichuan opened its first national coal reserve.

Nationwide, the daily consumption of coal at power plants was up 15% in the first two weeks of August compared with the same period last year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

Last week, Chinese vice-premier Han Zheng said the government would step up support for coal plants to ensure stable power supply.

While the jump in coal consumption is likely a temporary fix, Li, the Greenpeace adviser, feared the hydropower crisis could be used by coal interest groups to lobby for more coal plants.

“There is a possibility that power shortages caused by future extreme weather events might become a new motivation for China to approve more (coal-fired power) projects,” he said.

Last year, after a coal shortage caused a series of power outages across China, the government began to signal a renewed focus on “energy security.” By the last quarter of the year, new-approved coal capacity surged back, especially in state-owned enterprises, Greenpeace said in a report published last month.

In the first quarter of this year, provincial governments approved plans to add a total of 8.63 gigawatts of new coal power plants, nearly half the amount seen in all of 2021, according to the report.

“Energy security has become a sort of code word for coal, rather than for reliable supply of energy,” the report said.

Yu Aiqun, China researcher at Global Energy Monitor, likened turning to coal – the largest cause of global warming – for energy security to “quenching a thirst with poison.”

“China has an obsession with coal power – there is a very strong sense of dependence. Whenever an energy problem occurs, it always tries to seek answer from coal power …This is running in the opposite direction from its climate goals,” she said.

‘Big challenge’

China’s response to its energy crisis will have an impact on the rest of the world. The country of 1.4 billion people is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for 27% of global emissions.

But some analysts say boosting coal capacity is only part of China’s answer to the much-needed energy reform.

Following the power shortages last year, the Chinese government has taken important measures to increase the flexibility of pricing and the profitability of clean energy, said Myllyvirta with CREA.

“The big challenge in China’s system is the grid is being operated in a very rigid way,” he said. “Different provinces aren’t sharing their capacity and using their capacity in an optimal way to to balance the loads within the region.”

Therefore, the need to build more thermal power plants can be significantly reduced if China’s electricity grid can be managed more efficiently and flexibly, Myllyvirta said.

Apart form new coal power, China is also stepping up construction of renewable energy – its installed solar and wind energy capacity now accounts for 35-40% of the global total.

Fishman, the energy consultant, said the new coal power plants are not necessarily going to be used; instead, they were built as backup for the fast expanding renewable energy sector – in case it runs into problems, like the ongoing drought in Sichuan.

“Capacity doesn’t equal generation. The capacity being there creates a lot of optionality and flexibility for all these other (renewable energy sources) they’re building.” he said. “For now, I see the coal capacity additions, as for the most part, targeted at being able to support wind and solar.”

Fishman said China’s power system planners are aware of the challenges they face, and that the industry overall is moving “in the right direction.”

The record heat wave and the power crunch in Sichuan highlight the need to reform the grid system, he said. “Because without them, this would be an event that could happen every five or 10 years, and it would be crippling every five or 10 years – or maybe even more frequently,” he said.

Blackouts possible this summer due to heat and extreme weather ...

CNN —

Extreme temperatures and ongoing drought could cause the power grid to buckle across vast areas of the country this summer, potentially leading to electricity shortages and blackouts, a US power grid regulator said Wednesday.

NERC, a regulating authority that oversees the health of the nation’s electrical infrastructure, says in its 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment that extreme temperatures and ongoing drought could cause the power grid to buckle. High temperatures, the agency warns, will cause the demand for electricity to rise. Meanwhile, drought conditions will lower the amount of power available to meet that demand.

Video Ad Feedback Reality Check: We need infrastructure to survive the climate crisis 03:20 - Source: CNN

“Industry prepares its equipment and operators for challenging summer conditions. Persistent, extreme drought and its accompanying weather patterns, however, are out of the ordinary and tend to create extra stresses on electricity supply and demand,” said Mark Olson, NERC’s manager of Reliability Assessments.

On Thursday, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center called for nearly the entire contiguous United States to experience above average temperatures this summer.

The power grid is extremely delicate and electricity supply must always meet electricity demand, experts warn. If not, capacity shortfalls can occur. A shortfall is when there is not enough power being generated to meet demand.

Forced power outages, also known as rolling blackouts, are initiated during these situations – which is what millions of Americans run the risk of seeing this summer – to prevent long term damage to the grid.

But power grids are also susceptible in winter. In February 2021 Texas witnessed its highest electricity demand ever as residents tried to keep warm.

Video Ad Feedback Why snow and blackouts in Texas are a preview for all of us 01:54 - Source: CNN

To prevent the power grid from buckling under the stress, grid operators were forced to implement rolling outages when Texans needed power the most.

More than 200 people died during the power crisis, with the most common cause of death being hypothermia. A post-storm analysis released in November indicated power plants were unable to produce electricity primarily due to natural gas issues and generators freezing.

NERC says much of North America will have adequate resources and electricity on hand this summer, but several markets are at risk of energy emergencies.

The Upper Midwest and mid-South along the Mississippi River will experience the highest risk this summer, NERC warns, where the retirement of old power plants and increased demand are troublesome. Furthermore, the region is without a key transmission line that was damaged by a tornado in December 2021. Texas, the West Coast and the Southwest are at an elevated risk.

In addition to extreme weather, supply chain issues and an active wildfire season will further comprise reliability this summer, the assessment warns.

Cuba: Hurricane Ian killed at least 2 people and wiped out power to ...

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Are you affected by Hurricane Ian? Text or WhatsApp your stories to CNN +1 332-261-0775.

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Havana, Cuba CNN —

Hurricane Ian’s thrashing of Cuba has left at least two people dead and the entire island without power.

Both deaths occurred in the hard-hit western province of Pinar del Rio, where a woman died after a wall collapsed on her and a man died after his roof fell on him, state media said.

On Wednesday, crews rushed to restore power to some of the millions of Cubans who lost electricity as Ian battered the western region with fierce winds and treacherous storm surge.

Ian made landfall as a Category 3 storm just southwest of La Coloma in the Pinar del Rio province early Tuesday.

The hurricane was forecast to dump up to 16 inches of rain and trigger mudslides and flash flooding in the western region, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of residents.

The Pinar del Rio town of San Juan y Martinez was left with fields inundated by floodwater and uprooted trees, images from state media outlet Cubadebate show.

Pinar del Rio, known for growing Cuba’s rich tobacco, also suffered downed fences and destruction at the Robaina tobacco farm, according to photos posted by state media.

The country’s state-run National Electric System turned off power in the capital Havana to avoid electrocutions, deaths and property damage until the weather improved. But the nationwide blackouts were caused by the storm and were not planned.

An economic crisis has been gripping Cuba, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Blackouts across the island have been regular all summer, which has led to rare protests against the government.

People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana on Wednesday. Ramon Espinosa/AP

Thousands of Cubans evacuated

The life-threatening conditions Hurricane Ian inflicted on Cuba prompted officials to evacuate more than 38,000 residents from their homes in the Pinar del Rio province, according to state news channel TelePinar.

Adriana Rivera, who lives in Spain, told CNN she hadn’t been able to contact her family living in Pinar del Rio since Tuesday morning.

Cuba power outage in Havana is seen on Tuesday. CNN

“They didn’t expect the hurricane to be this strong.” Rivera said. “I hope they’re okay. The uncertainty is killing me.”

The last time Rivera spoke to her family – including her mother, sister, cousin and nephews – they told her they would seek shelter on the second floor of their home because the first floor was flooding. One of her nephews also recorded videos of the family’s flooded home.

Mayelin Suarez, a resident of Pinar del Rio, told Reuters the storm made for the darkest night of her life.

“We almost lost the roof off our house,” Suarez said. “My daughter, my husband and I tied it down with a rope to keep it from flying away.”

Patrick Oppmann Aya Elamroussi Heather Chen

Ice and snow start hammering East Coast states after same deadly ...

CNN —

The massive storm system that pulverized homes, killed three people in Louisiana and brought blizzard conditions to northern states is bringing a new wave of brutal weather starting Thursday.

More than a foot of snow has covered parts of the upper Midwest since Monday, including Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Next, significant ice and heavy snow will smother parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England, forecasters said.

Parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York have already seen several inches’ worth of snowflakes, with some areas seeing up to six inches. More than a foot of additional snow could be on the way – while some places with higher elevations could get walloped with up to 2 feet of snow.

“We urge everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Thursday. “Work from home if possible, stay off the roads, and make sure you and your loved ones remain vigilant.”

At its peak snowfall rate, the storm is expected to dump about one to 2 inches of snow per hour in parts of New York, the governor said, adding power outages were possible over the coming days.

The intense snowfall will spread into interior New England on Friday, with up to a foot expected there.

In Pittsburgh, some areas were under a winter weather advisory as temperatures dropped below freezing after a round of rain, warning that an “additional glazing of ice could occur through midnight,” forecasters said Thursday night.

Miles of Interstate 90 in South Dakota were closed Thursday due to hazardous weather. South Dakota DOT

Freezing rain and snow also covered parts of the Mid-Atlantic Thursday. A quarter inch of ice was reported Thursday morning in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, and about a tenth of an inch had built up in parts of Virginia.

The mammoth storm system that plowed across much of the country this week will morph into a nor’easter that will continue spread ice, snow and rain to the Northeast.

Now, as the East Coast hunkers down, tornado survivors in the South are grappling with colossal damage.

A tornado passes a highway Wednesday in New Iberia, Louisiana. Mike Ibert via Reuters

‘All of a sudden, everything just blew up’

The same storm system now slamming eastern states left a trail of devastation in Gulf Coast states.

At least 50 tornado reports have been made since Tuesday in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma.

In northern Louisiana, a tornado that moved through the town of Farmerville was rated an EF-3, with 140 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado, which moved through Union Parish Tuesday evening, was 500 yards wide at its largest point and was on the ground for over nine miles.

At least 20 people were injured and the tornado demolished parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park, Farmerville Police Detective Cade Nolan said.

Patsy Andrews was home with her children in Farmerville when she heard “rushing wind like a train” outside, she told CNN affiliate KNOE-TV.

“All of a sudden that wind was so heavy, it broke my back door,” Andrews said. “The lights went off and all we could hear was glass popping everywhere.”

A tornado caused widespread damage in Union Parish, Louisiana. CNN

Andrews said she and her daughter crawled into a hallway as glass shattered around them and water leaked through the roof. They ended up hunkering down in their bathroom and praying. Her family survived the storm but was left with a damaged home.

Further south, the weather service also confirmed two EF-2 tornadoes – in preliminary ratings while damage surveys are ongoing – in the New Orleans area. The first tornado impacted areas of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, including Montz and Killona, where one person was killed. The second affected areas from Marrero to Arabi on the south and east sides of New Orleans.

More than 50 structures were damaged, St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said Thursday, including 45 in Killona and nine in Montz. About 21 of those are no longer livable.

“This happens as the weather’s getting colder and 10 days before Christmas and to a lot of people who are just now recovering from Hurricane Ida,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Thursday news conference. “That was especially heartbreaking in St. Charles Parish.”

In Jefferson Parish, Trent Theriot ducked inside a small closer as soon as he heard a tornado was headed his way.

“A strong gust of wind came through the front door … the tornado came through the front,” Theriot told CNN’s Nick Valencia. “All of a sudden, everything just blew up.”

Jefferson Parish Councilman Scott Walker posted images of storm damage on Facebook. "Powerlines down, home severely damaged, rooftops ripped off, " he wrote. Courtesy Scott Walker

When he emerged from the closet, Theriot’s house no longer had a roof and had shifted several feet off its foundation.

But he said he’s fortunate to be alive. “Thank Jesus,” Theriot said, “I’m here for another day.”

‘More devastating than initially expected’

The tornado that shredded much of Gretna, Louisiana, on Wednesday may have damaged up to 5,000 structures, the mayor said.

“Unfortunately, now that the sun is up, it is more devastating than initially expected,” Mayor Belinda Constant said Thursday.

A tornado blew out a vehicle's windows and damaged or destroyed homes in Gretna, Louisiana. Matthew Hinton/AP

“There are more houses that will probably have to be condemned or just demolished based on such damage,” she said. “It’s about a mile-and-a-half stretch that is completely just inundated with destruction.”

Despite the devastation in Gretna, only three injuries were reported, the mayor said.

“This is not the place where we normally have tornadoes. So our reality of a safe house is not what it is in other parts of the country. But people survived in bathtubs,” she said.

“We’re a resilient people, and this is the type of thing that don’t choose locations.”

Widespread power outages in the cold

Power lines are mangled after a tornado struck Wednesday in Gretna, Louisiana. Matthew Hinton/AP

From tornadoes in the South to blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest, more than 100,000 homes, businesses and other electricity customers in the US had no power Thursday night, according to PowerOutage.us.

Most of those outages – more than 80,000 – were in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Ferocious winds from blizzard conditions knocked down power lines in the Upper Midwest, and temperatures in some areas without power plunged to near or below freezing.

Visibility was significantly reduced Thursday on Interstate 94 near Bismarck, North Dakota. Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune/AP

A mother and child were killed and found far from their home

At least three deaths in Louisiana have been linked to the storm.

Yoshiko A. Smith, 30, and her 8-year-old son, Nikolus Little, were killed Tuesday when a tornado struck Caddo Parish and destroyed their home, local officials said.

Their bodies were found far from where their house once stood, officials said. Autopsies have been ordered for both, the county coronor said.

In St. Charles Parish, a 56-year-old woman died after a tornado hit her home, the Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday.

And “a number of people” remain in hospitals, the governor said. Some have significant injuries and others are stable, he added.

In Texas, a tornado struck Wise County near Paradise and Decatur on Tuesday, officials said. Video showed homes splintered, with roofs ripped off in Decatur.

And in Wayne, Oklahoma, a tornado damaged homes and barns Tuesday, officials said. No injuries were reported, but homes were flattened or had roofs torn off, according to footage from CNN affiliate KOCO.

Given the extensive destruction across the state, “I am amazed that we didn’t have more loss of life in Louisiana, and I’m very thankful for it,” Edwards said Thursday.

Edwards said alert notifications on cell phones were extremely important in giving people proper warning before storms impacted their areas.

But while road crews clear debris and try to restore downed power lines, Edwards urged residents to avoid sightseeing hard-hit areas – such as Iberia Medical Center in New Iberia, a city reportedly hit by a tornado.

Iberia Medical Center was damaged by severe weather Wednesday in New Iberia, Louisiana. Leslie Westbrook/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP

In Arabi, Cindy DeLucca Hernandez thought she could beat the storm while driving home with her 16-year-old son after school. Then she found herself facing a tornado.

Hernandez shared video with CNN that showed a tornado blowing through Arabi, kicking up debris and taking out power lines.

A confirmed tornado struck Arabi, Louisiana, on Wednesday. Matthew Hinton/AP

“We started seeing debris and we got hit a couple of times by it,” Hernandez said. “That’s when I put the car in reverse.”

Hernandez and her son made it home safely.

But “it was extremely scary,” Hernandez said. “I’ve never ever been through anything like that.”

Nouran Salahieh Holly Yan Monica Garrett Amanda Watts