A huge winter storm on Tuesday swept across the central U.S., bringing with it severe winds, rain, and snow, disrupting Mardi Gras Day celebrations in New Orleans and causing power cuts in several places.
The officials issued severe weather advisories for tens of millions of people. The alert ranged from blizzard warnings throughout the northern Plains region to threats of tornadoes, thunderstorms, and fires in the South.
Red flag warnings
Southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas were reportedly hit with hurricane-force winds, triggering red flag warnings throughout the drought-stricken area. In Texas, more than 400,000 homes and businesses suffered significant power disruptions as a result of the winds. Ahead of the storm, New Orleans police declared that the Mardi Gras parade routes would be shortened, USA Today reported.
Moreover, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska are under a blizzard warning.
Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have all issued winter storm alerts, anticipating near-whiteout conditions and over6 inches of snow.
In the meantime, experts in Nebraska and Minnesota issued dire warnings about widespread snowfall that might result in whiteout conditions and make traffic “treacherous and potentially life-threatening.”
The low-pressure system is predicted to go as far north as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. New York City may still experience some thunderstorms, according to AccuWeather. Over 20 states and up to 170 million people could be affected by the storm overall.
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‘Biggest threat will be damaging wind gusts’
In an online forecast, Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, stated that “As these thunderstorms roar eastward, the biggest threat will be damaging wind gusts, especially in Arkansas, Louisiana and western Mississippi.” He also mentioned that the region may experience “widespread gusts of up to 80 mph” and some may even reach 100 mph.
It is anticipated that the gusts would keep bringing down airplanes and knocking out electricity. Another major worry is the possibility of fire moving from the Carolinas to the South.
Tornado warnings
On Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service released tornado warnings for many southern Plains states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The Forth Worth, Texas, office of the organization advised locals to stock a kit for emergencies with necessities. The agency also issued a warning for “critical fire weather” in the Dallas area because of Tuesday’s strong winds and low humidity.
Flights impacted
According to FlightAware, roughly 300 aircraft were delayed and over 210 planes were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport by 9:30 a.m. Flight delays averaged two hours, as per the Federal Aviation Administration, “due to wind.”
“Strong storms this morning are leading to hazardous road conditions around the metro area,” the airport said in a statement on X. “Please allow extra time and be safe as storms move quickly over the area. Check your flight status for any schedule impacts this morning.”
FlightAware reports dozens of delays and more than 60 cancellations at the smaller Dallas Love Field airport.