Winter weather is sweeping USA: Driving ban in Western New York; 500K power outages
A Saturday blast of winter weather has led to dangerous conditions, thousands of power outages, a local driving ban and the postponement of a NFL Wild Card game near Buffalo — and arctic temperatures are set to impact even more of the U.S. in coming days.
Some of the most severe impacts were expected in Western New York, where a driving ban will be in effect in Buffalo starting Saturday at 9 p.m., officials said in a Saturday morning conference.
"If you have to go out, go out now, but please be back by 5:30 tonight," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said early Saturday afternoon, urging residents to exercise caution.
A winter storm killed at least 37 people in the Buffalo area in Dec. 2022, when freezing conditions escalated quickly, and an extreme combination of snow, wind and low temperatures led some people to die after getting stuck in their cars.
About 500,000 households were without power as of 9 a.m. Saturday, according to a tracker maintained by USA TODAY. Michigan had the most widespread outages affecting nearly 185,000 customers. More than 90,000 customers in Wisconsin were without power Saturday morning, with outages centered around Milwaukee. Further east, tens of thousands in Vermont and New Hampshire were also affected by widespread outages.
Meanwhile, much of Iowa received at least nine inches of snow Friday, as more than 1,000 journalists descended on Des Moines to cover Monday's Republican presidential primary election. After snow subsides Saturday evening, temperatures in the state will dip further, according to the National Weather Service, dropping below 0 degrees through Tuesday.
Following this weekend's storm, arctic air will descend from Western Canada and spread across the Northwest and Northern Plains early next week. The weather service forecasts multiple record-cold temperatures.
Sub-zero wind chills are expected to fall below negative-30 degrees from the northern Rockies and northern Kansas and into Iowa. Montana and the western Dakotas could see temperatures fall as low as negative-50 degrees, posing a risk of frostbite on exposed skin, as well as hypothermia.
What is the polar vortex? In-depth look at how it can affect winter weather in the US next week
Developments:
∎ Snowfall totals in parts of Wisconsin topped 10 inches Friday, prompting school and business closures. Friday also saw the death of a Milwaukee man who became unresponsive after snow blowing his home's driveway, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
∎ This weekend's frigid weather coincides with several NFL playoff games, and Saturday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins could set records as one of the coldest NFL playoff games in history. The Buffalo Bills-Pittsburgh Steelers game originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon was postponed until Monday at 4:30 p.m., New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Saturday.
∎ Blizzard warnings were in effect Saturday for areas of the Dakotas, northwest Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, according to the weather service.
∎ Roads across eastern Nebraska, northern Illinois and much of Wisconsin were "completely" covered with snow, slush or ice Saturday morning, according to a regional map of road conditions from the Iowa Department of Transportation. Iowa State Patrol issued a "Life-Threatening Winter Weather Alert" asking people to cease non-essential travel overnight.
∎ Parts of Utah and Wyoming are expected to receive "impressive snowfall" over the weekend, the Salt Lake City National Weather Service announced. The region is under winter storm warnings, as northern Utah and southwest Wyoming brace for up to four feet of snow.
See photos of winter weather: Arctic blast bringing freezing temperatures across the US
Saturday winter storm forecast
The winter storm that spawned blizzard warnings in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest on Friday is forecast to move northeast on Saturday, with snowfall rates of up to 2 inches an hour possible as the system crawls out of the region.
Travel could be dangerous, particularly with strong winds creating blizzard conditions, and power outages are also possible, forecasters warned.
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will also see heavy rain through Saturday, making coastal and river flooding possible, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm's snow production is expected to diminish Saturday, but lake-effect snow is forecast to remain in the region through mid-week, the weather service reported, with white-out conditions possible.
By Sunday, portions of the South could also receive wintry precipitation, the weather service warned Saturday. Snow, sleet and freezing rain are "likely to develop" in parts of eastern Oklahoma, northeast Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and much of Tennessee, the weather service said.
US weather watches and warnings
National weather radar
Contributing: Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm in US forecast to bring dangerous temperatures, weather
