The unrelenting deep freeze gripping millions of Americans across the country continues to wreak havoc this weekend, with bitter cold air spilling into the Midwest from Canada. As temperatures plummet to new lows, winds howl with fury, making it feel like -30F (-34C) in some areas. The toll of the severe weather has grown, with at least 55 people killed in weather-related incidents over the past week.
Residents of Memphis, Tennessee, have been advised to boil water, while New Yorkers are warned of treacherous black ice-covered roads. Heavier-than-forecast snow has pounded New York City, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., casting a pall of icy gloom over the region. For two weeks, storms have ravaged the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, plains, South, and Northeast, bringing with them sub-zero temperatures, heavy snow, ice storms, freezing rain, and fierce winds.
A glimmer of hope is on the horizon, as the National Weather Service predicts a thaw is imminent, with above-average temperatures expected across most of the country by next week. However, the bracing weekend weather may prove treacherous, with wind chill driving temperatures as low as -20F (-29C) in some areas.
Tennessee has emerged as a hotbed of tragedy, with 19 deaths reported, including a 25-year-old man who succumbed to hypothermia after a space heater overturned in his mobile home. Water mains have broken in Memphis, causing pressure to plummet throughout the city, prompting the city’s utility company to urge its 400,000-plus customers to boil water for drinking and brushing teeth.
Nation Battles Severe Cold SnapIn West Virginia, advisories and warnings stretch across the state, with up to 4 inches of additional snow forecast and winds gusting to 40mph. The weather service warns that ground snow and ice will slowly begin to melt, but not before posing a significant threat to power lines and trees.
As the country struggles to cope with the relentless cold, a shortage of blood donations has led some hospitals in five states to suspend elective surgeries until Wednesday. Oregon authorities declared a statewide emergency after deadly ice storms ravaged the region, and on the west coast, forecasters predict more freezing rain and treacherous conditions through the weekend.
Stay safe out there, the National Weather Service cautioned, as the country continues to battle the frozen grip of the frigid air.