A powerful winter storm has blanketed the Midwest, setting new snowfall records before advancing eastward with a mix of snow and ice.
Chapman, Kansas, received 18 inches of snow, while Topeka recorded 14 inches, marking its heaviest snowfall since 1993.
Similarly, Kansas City, Missouri, experienced 11 inches of snow, and Cincinnati, Ohio, reported 5 inches on Sunday, establishing a new single-day record for January 5.
The storm has placed approximately 60 million Americans across 18 states, from the Dakotas to Delaware, under winter weather warnings.
By Monday morning, the storm’s reach extended from Missouri to New Jersey, with 13 states bracing for heavy snow and freezing conditions.
In parts of southern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, and Kentucky, sleet and freezing rain created treacherous conditions, with some areas accumulating half an inch of ice.
These hazardous conditions led to widespread power outages, leaving about 200,000 customers without electricity early Monday, according to Poweroutage.us.
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The heaviest snowfall has now shifted to the Appalachians and along the East Coast’s I-95 corridor. A winter storm warning is in effect for Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, where snow totals could reach 8 to 12 inches.
“If Washington gets more than 8.3 inches, this would be the biggest snowstorm for the city since 2016, when they got a massive 17.8 inches,” forecasters noted.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is under a winter weather advisory, with predictions of 2 to 4 inches of snow. Subfreezing temperatures are expected to make roads dangerously slick.
New York City is likely to see only a light dusting of snow, with no weather alerts issued. In contrast, New England, including Boston, Massachusetts, is not forecasted to receive any snowfall from the storm.
Snowfall in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore is expected to taper off by Monday morning, although flurries could persist into the evening.
The East Coast is projected to be free of snow by Monday night.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE