More than 10,000 flights grounded across the US as millions brace for monster storms
A monster winter storm across the US has forced more than 10,000 flights to be cancelled, impacting millions of passengers.
More than 140 million people could be impacted by severe cold weather after the National Weather Service, America’s national forecaster, issued a winter storm warning spanning several states from New Mexico to New England.
That equates to more than 40% of the US population.
The mercury could drop to bitingly cold temperatures -so low that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes.
Parts of the Midwest could drop as low as minus 40C, while the wind chill in Bismarck, North Dakota, may fall to minus 41C.
Other areas are likely to experience a temperature of minus 24C, with the forecaster warning that damage caused by heavy snow and ice could ‘rival that of a hurricane’.
US President Donald Trump said his administration is working with local officials, adding that ‘FEMA is fully prepared to respond’.
It added that there could be widespread heavy snow and ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina.
Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City was among the airports that cancelled all flights on Saturday.
The airport hopes to resume flights by Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the aeroplane tracking website FlightAware, recorded more than 3,800 cancelled flights on Saturday, and nearly 7,000 flights called off for Sunday.
The cold weather has also forced Mardi Gras parades, an annual celebration before Ash Wednesday, across Louisiana to be cancelled or rescheduled.
The monster storm has caused major power cuts across the US, with more than 95,000 reported outages on Saturday.
Around 36,000 of those outages were in Texas, and more than 10,000 in Virginia.
Dozens of state governors have urged residents to stay indoors over fears the weather could become more turbulent over the next few days.
The weather agency described temperatures as ‘dangerously cold’ as the storm weather warning is expected to remain in place for much of the weekend.
It wrote on X: ‘Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills are spreading into the area and will remain in place into Monday.
‘Low temperatures will be mostly in the single digits for the next few nights, with wind chills as low as minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 Celsius).’
Snowfall could reach 30cm as the storm is expected to sweep across parts of Washington, through New York and Boston, the weather service said.
More than 7 million meals, 60,000 blankets and 300 generators are in place throughout impacted areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said.
It added that around 30 search and rescue teams are on standby as the nation prepares for the monster winter storm.
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