Millions affected – down to minus 45 degrees: freezing cold in the US

In Denver, Colorado, temperatures dropped about 40 degrees within 24 hours as the Arctic cold front passed. According to the PowerOutage.us website, 1.4 million U.S. homes, mostly on the East Coast, were without power on Friday.

“Not a snowy day like when we were kids”
The weather service had previously warned of a “historic” winter storm. US media, citing weather experts, warned of the possible emergence of a so-called “bomb cyclone”. In the states of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming, values ​​of around minus 45 degrees Celsius have already been measured. “This is not like a childhood snow day,” President Joe Biden warned.

At least five people were killed in what are believed to be weather-related traffic accidents in Kansas and Oklahoma on Friday, according to media reports. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned travelers on US television to be careful. With a view to Christmas, he said: “Many drivers may not be used to driving in winter conditions.” He warned to follow the instructions of the authorities. Several US states have declared a state of emergency, including New York.

More than 3000 flights cancelled
There were also chaotic scenes at the airports. The FlightAware website reported that more than 3,000 flights had been canceled by Friday morning (local time). Especially passengers in the north, around the great lakes, can make up their Christmas travel plans. A video released by the Weather Channel website shows an armada of snow plows attempting to clear the tarmac at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, one of the nation’s major airports.

It is especially difficult for those who do not have a roof over their heads. Across the country, aid workers are trying to rescue the many homeless from the cold. During a church mission in Augusta, Georgia, they prepared for an attack, the New York Times reported. “On a normal night, it may not be a matter of life or death,” said the head of the mission. “But now.” At least five homeless people froze to death in Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier this week, according to media reports. And even in Miami, where it’s typically hot, Homeless Relief has put its Cold Emergency Plan into action.

200 dead last year in Texas
In the state of Texas, the extreme cold brings back dark memories. Last year the electricity grid collapsed due to the cold and millions of people were without power for days. According to studies, more than 200 people have died because of this. But this time be better prepared. “The power grid is ready and reliable,” the New York Times quoted an executive as saying.

The north of the country is particularly hard hit by ice, wind and snow, especially around the Great Lakes. “Swells of up to six meters high are predicted at each of the Great Lakes,” the Detroit Free Press newspaper quoted a scientist from the State Meteorological and Oceanographic Administration as saying. Authorities have already responded to the eastern shore of Lake Erie, near Niagara Falls. In the city of Hamburg, New York, residents near the water were asked to leave their homes.

Winter services also had their hands full in the metropolis of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan. Further east, in the state of Indiana, the governor has mobilized the National Guard to protect people from the expected snowstorms.

Cold ghost can be over soon
But just as quickly as the cold specter broke over the US, it could be over again. In some parts of the country’s northwest, temperatures are expected to rise again soon once the core of cold air has passed, the National Weather Service predicts. In many places it should be 20 to 30 degrees warmer by the weekend.