A major winter storm is set to hit the US on Tuesday, bringing a large swath of the country freezing rain and heavy snow. Flights were cancelled by airlines, governors warned residents to stay off the roads, and schools closed for the day.
As frigid weather approached starting Tuesday night, a long stretch of states from New Mexico to Vermont were placed under winter storm watches and warnings. There was a chance of more than a foot of snow in Michigan after a vicious nor’easter brought blizzard conditions to the East Coast last weekend.
Governor Greg Abbott addressed the state’s preparedness for the storm after a catastrophic freeze in Texas nearly a year ago caused one of the country’s worst blackouts. Forecasters do not expect sustained and frigid temperatures like those experienced during the storm in February 2021, and the National Weather Service said that the approaching system should not be as damaging this time around.
Flight-tracking service FlightAware.com showed more than 1,000 flights canceled in the US scheduled for Wednesday, including more than half in St. Louis. Following Tuesday’s severe weather forecast, Southwest Airlines announced it would suspend all flights Wednesday at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis and Thursday at Love Field in Dallas.
Mike Parson, governor of Missouri, declared a state of emergency after schools and universities canceled classes or moved them online.
More than 100 departure flights have also been canceled at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, as have flights from Kansas City and Detroit.
In parts of the Rockies and Midwest, the National Weather Service expects between 6 and 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of snow by Thursday morning, while Texas and the Ohio Valley may have heavy ice.
Parts of Michigan may receive 8 to 14 inches (20 to 36 centimeters) of snow on Wednesday and Thursday. In Detroit, city crews are working 12-hour shifts to salt and plow major highways, after the mayor activated snow emergency routes.
A statewide state of emergency has been declared by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt due to the upcoming winter storm. In this declaration, permit requirements for oversized vehicles transporting supplies and materials for emergency relief and power restoration are suspended for seven days. The National Weather Service’s ice index predicts that up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of snow and sleet will fall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but that little ice will cause widespread power outages.
