I need to get some bread and milk!
Grocery stores are quickly depleting their stock as anxious shoppers rush to prepare for an arctic blast and the snowstorm expected to hit parts of the country.
Weather experts are warning that this system, named “Winter Storm Fern,” could bring frigid temperatures to many cities and pile up to 2 feet of snow in certain areas of the eastern United States.
Megan Monroe Evans from Alabama shared a surprising video on TikTok, showing the nearly empty refrigerators at her local store.
“The forecaster mentioned ice and snow may arrive. And around here in the South, we tend to… stock up on all the essentials—milk, bread, and eggs. Oh my goodness,” she captioned her post.
She was under the impression that “panic buying” might be more of a local trend, but it seems that it’s widespread so far.
Similar clips popped up from frustrated shoppers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia, though not so many came from northeastern states where significant snowfall is anticipated over the weekend.
Kim Adams, a mother from Oklahoma, also shared a video on TikTok while shopping before the storm. In contrast to the woman in Alabama, she seemed to have had better luck, although certain aisles where toilet paper, bottled water, bread, and milk are typically found were still looking quite bare.
Meteorologists have cautioned that the freezing temperatures might even lead to trees bursting in the Midwest and Northern Plains.
Sudden extreme cold snaps can generate pressure within trees, making the sap expand without giving them a chance to adapt. According to the National Forest Foundation, this sap, which is primarily water, might freeze, putting pressure on the bark and potentially causing it to crack or explode.
“There have been numerous instances of trees exploding due to severe cold,” the foundation added.
Forecasters also recommend that residents in states like Minnesota and Illinois stay indoors to avoid the risk of hypothermia.
As the cold front intensifies later this week, temperatures in New York City are expected to plunge into the low teens and even single digits in upstate areas.
“This is dangerously cold. An arctic air blast is on its way. Things are only going to worsen before they improve,” noted AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines.
New York City might see over a foot of snow, the highest accumulation since February 2021 when 16.8 inches were recorded in just two days in Central Park.
