Forecasters: Dangerous wind chills, heavy snow will continue into next week
Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Dangerously cold wind chills producing sub-zero temperatures, heavy snow and freezing rain will continue across much of the United States through the weekend and into next week, forecasters said Saturday.
The arctic conditions include "near record, dangerously low temperatures and wind chills" stretching from the Northwest into the Deep South, the U.S. Weather Service said in an update.
In the Rockies and the Midwest -- including Iowa, where U.S. presidential campaigns are gearing up for Monday's Iowa Caucuses -- wind chills this weekend will dip as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, with values plunging as low as minus 65 degrees in Montana and parts of the Dakotas.
"These windchills will pose a risk of frostbite on exposed skin and hypothermia," officials warned. "Have a cold survival kit if you must travel."
Meanwhile in the Pacific Northwest and western United States, "significant freezing rain" will likely affect powerlines in western Oregon while heavy snow and blowing snow will make for "poor to impossible" travel conditions in Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada, including such cities as Portland, Ore., Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City.
By late Sunday, the worst winter conditions are expected in the Mid-South, where snow, sleet and freezing rain will spread across parts of eastern Oklahoma and through the Tennessee Valley, where several inches of snow are expected.
And if that weren't enough, parts of the Midwest could again experience near-record low temperatures and dangerous wind chills late next week, the weather service said, warning that the Deep South could once again be socked by subfreezing temperatures.
Dangerously cold temperatures and wintry precipitation will create hazardous conditions for much of the nation well into next week. Freezing rain today in western Oregon and snow/ice in the South Sunday/Monday pic.twitter.com/FWQoqTRcSP— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 13, 2024
On Friday, the severe winter conditions hampered travel across the Midwest ahead of Monday's Iowa Caucus and caused havoc with the nation's air travel system.
The Federal Aviation Administration instituted a Traffic Management Program for inbound and outbound flights during the day, resulting in some arrivals being delayed by an average of one hour and 46 minutes.
Friday afternoon, there were 2,781 flights canceled nationwide. Chicago was the hardest hit, with 414 flights canceled and another 238 delayed out of O'Hare. At Midway, there were 142 cancellations with 28 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
In light of the intense conditions, Chicago delayed enforcement of a 60-day shelter stay limit for migrants who are close to reaching the deadline.
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Brandie Knazze said the city will suspend the deadline until Jan. 22 or later if weather conditions do not improve.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pleading with him to stop sending buses full of migrants to Chicago as the city is battered by the storm and its migrant shelters already are overfilled.
"The next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here. I am pleading with you to at least pause these transports in order to save lives," Pritzker told Abbott.
Abbott's office on Friday responded to the letter, saying the migrants signed a voluntary consent waiver to travel to Chicago, and the bus drivers are taking necessary safety precautions.
A spokesperson for Abbott added Texas will continue to send migrants north until President Joe Biden secures the U.S.-Mexico border.
Iowa Caucus concerns
The Midwest is expected to get six to 12 inches of snow through Saturday. The National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa, cautioned drivers to stay off the roads, even as they prepare for the Iowa Republican Caucus on Monday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said he's still going "full speed ahead" with his campaign but urged his supporters to be safe over the weekend. The DeSantis-backed super PAC Never Back Down canceled events in Clear Lake and Marshalltown Friday morning before also cancelling events in Pella and Coralville.
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley canceled her in-person event in Fort Dodge and instead addressed voters in a tele-town hall Friday.
While Haley admitted she was concerned about voter turnout due to the weather, she said she "has faith" that supporters will turn out Monday.
"What we hope is that they will wear layers, that they will bring their photo ID, and that they will come out and caucus," she said.
Southeast, Northeast prepare
Officials said the storm might have claimed its first victim Friday night. NBC News reported a 69-year-old man was found dead after clearing his driveway near Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Medical Examiner's office said it will investigate the incident as a "weather-related death."
The storm isn't just a Midwest threat. Severe thunder storms and high-speed winds are forecast to heavily affect the Southeast, too. And heavy rain is expected to eventually threaten a Northeast that already is experiencing widespread flooding.
On Friday evening, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency for western New York. Erie, Genesee, Wyoming, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties are under a winter storm watch until Monday morning. The west side of the state also is under a high wind warning until Saturday night.
On the heels of this storm is a brutal arctic blast that could drop temperatures to 30 degrees below zero as far south as Texas. Iowa Caucus voters on Monday can expect to be hit by a wind chill as low as minus 50.
