Trump Administration Monitoring Severe Winter Storm
A White House official announced on Friday that the Trump administration is actively observing the significant winter storm anticipated to affect the eastern United States.
The official conveyed that President Donald Trump has received updates on the storm’s forecast and is communicating with relevant officials.
“The president has been informed throughout the day and is maintaining close contact with officials,” the White House representative stated. “The entire administration is keeping a careful watch over the expected weather and is adopting a comprehensive governmental strategy to ensure an appropriate response.”
According to the Associated Press:
A large storm system is on track to unleash a severe ice storm from Texas to parts of the South, while snow accumulation could reach up to a foot in areas stretching from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. The storm will culminate with an intense cold snap that may result in wind chills plummeting to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Forecasters caution that the potential damage might be akin to that of a hurricane, particularly in regions affected by ice. Around 160 million people are under winter storm or cold weather advisories, with many facing both types of warnings.
Classes were canceled on Friday at Chicago Public Schools and Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa as frigid air advances from Canada. Wind chills, with lows expected around minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, pose a risk of frostbite within just 10 minutes, making it hazardous to walk to school or wait for transportation.
As reported by AccuWeather, the severe weather could leave approximately 1 million customers without electricity:
Ice accumulation is likely to continue on trees and power lines throughout this weekend’s storm. If this persists beyond 24 hours, widespread and prolonged power outages could ensue. About 60 million people might experience icing conditions, resulting in many being without power for extended durations.
A quarter-inch of freezing rain is sufficient to initiate power outages, particularly in a region extending from near San Angelo, Texas, to east of Raleigh, North Carolina. This area is predicted to see ice glaze between half an inch to one inch, affecting northeastern Louisiana, southwest Arkansas, northern and central Mississippi, along with parts of northern Alabama, northern Georgia, and northern South Carolina.
“Some outages, especially those caused by ice accumulation, will affect utility customers for several days or longer. This means that many individuals may not have heating as arctic air pours in behind the storm,” noted AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist John Porter.
More than 2,000 flights had been canceled by Friday afternoon, according to AccuWeather.
