Winter storm: More snow forecast as millions under wind chill alerts
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on January 17, 2024
(NEW YORK) — More than 105 million Americans remain on alert for dangerously low temperatures after an arctic blast swept across the U.S.
At least nine weather-related fatalities were confirmed nationwide this week: six in Tennessee, two in New Jersey and one in Mississippi, according to authorities.
On Wednesday, the wind chill — what the temperature feels like — is forecast to fall to minus 25 degrees in North Dakota, minus 16 in Chicago and minus 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Austin, Texas, and San Antonio could break daily records for low temperatures on Wednesday at or around 10 degrees.
By the weekend, wind chills will remain below zero in Chicago. Wind chills could fall below zero in Memphis, Tennessee, and may drop to minus 22 degrees in Kansas City, Missouri.
Although conditions will be dry in the Northeast on Wednesday, areas around the Great Lakes are expected to get more snow. Lake-effect snow warnings were issued in Buffalo and Watertown, New York, where snowfall totals could reach 4 feet by Thursday night — on top of the more than 40 inches of snow that fell last weekend.
Another storm is also heading toward the Pacific Northwest. Ice storm warnings are in effect for more than 3 million people in Oregon, including Portland, where residents could wake up to as much as 3/4 inches of ice on Wednesday.
In the Cascade mountain range, there’s a chance for up to 7 inches of snow and 1 inch of ice.
The snow from this storm will move over the Rocky Mountains on Wednesday and Thursday, including in Colorado, where avalanche warnings are in effect through Thursday. The avalanche danger is high — at a level 4 out of 5 — because heavy snow and strong winds have created very treacherous conditions that could easily trigger large and dangerous avalanches.
High wind warnings are also in effect for parts of Colorado’s mountains, with winds up to 75 mph possible on Wednesday.
Colorado’s Rockies could get as much as 2 feet of snow from Wednesday to Friday.
The snowfall will move into Nebraska and Missouri on Thursday.
A separate weather system will bring snow to Kentucky on Thursday before combining with the moisture from the Plains to bring another round of snow to the Northeast on Friday, with an additional 1 to 3 inches in the forecast for the Interstate 95 corridor.
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