Drivers skid and crash as wintery mix grips central US then moves east
Road conditions deteriorated across the central US on Saturday as a combination of snow, ice and falling temperatures arrived, with predictions calling for the feared combo to spread east in the coming days.
“Winter returned,” said Bob Oravec, chief forecaster at the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
The polar vortex of ultracold air usually hangs around the North Pole and spins like a top. But sometimes it escapes or extends into the US, Europe or Asia – and then large numbers of people experience intense doses of cold. Studies show a rapidly warming Arctic gets some of the blame for the increase in polar vortex stretching or wandering.
Widespread heavy snow was likely Saturday evening between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70, where there was a good chance of at least 8 inches of snow. A portion of the highway in central Kansas was closed Saturday afternoon.
The storm will then move into the Ohio Valley, where severe travel disruptions are expected. It will reach the Mid-Atlantic states from Sunday to Monday. A hard freeze is expected even in southern Florida.
A fire truck, several tractor units and passenger cars overturned west of Salina, Kansas. Rigs also got hit with a knife and ended up in ditches, said Trooper Ben Gardner of the Kansas Highway Patrol.
He posted a video showing his boots sliding across the highway asphalt like an ice rink.
“We’re in it now,” Gardner said as he drove to the crash site. “The game has started.”
Freezing rain in Wichita, Kansas caused several crashes on Saturday morning. Police urge motorists to stay at home if possible and to watch out for emergency vehicles.
In neighboring Missouri, Governor Mike Parson declared a state of emergency. Whiteout conditions could make driving dangerous to impossible, forecasters warned, and increase the risk of stranding.
Stores in Wichita were filled with shoppers stocking up on groceries ahead of the storm, and warming centers opened at churches and libraries.
‘Now go where you want to go & stay seated. If you must travel, consider packing a bag & stay where you are going,” the Missouri Department of Transportation urged message on X.
Several businesses in the Kansas City area closed their doors and the school district in suburban Independence announced it might have to cancel classes for one or more days.
The cold temperatures didn’t set records, but they still caused problems.
They hovered in the teens in Chicago and around zero in Minneapolis, while dropping to 14 below in International Falls, Minnesota.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency on Friday evening ahead of the storm, noting it could impact Virginians’ ability to vote in Tuesday’s special election. In a statement on X, the governor encouraged residents to vote early in a special election on Saturday before the winter weather arrives.
In Louisiana, crews raced on land and water in search of a manatee spotted in Lake Pontchartrain before cold temperatures hit. The manatee was first spotted on New Year’s Eve in the Mandeville area.
Although manatees are common in the area during the summer months, winter sightings are a concern because the animals can experience symptoms of cold stress when temperatures drop below 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius).
“We are doing everything we can to get our hands on this animal,” said Gabriella Harlamert, stranding and rehabilitation coordinator for Audubon Aquarium Rescue in New Orleans.
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Hollingsworth reports from Mission, Kansas, and Witte in Annapolis, Maryland. Andrew DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Arkansas.