Record-breaking cold across the central and eastern US is fueling the season's largest winter storm, threatening to freeze Texas, ground flights, ice power lines and possibly even bring a dollop of snow to New York City this weekend.
More than 175 million people across the country will face snow, rain, sleet and ice through the weekend while 230 million will endure temperatures of 20F (-7C) degrees or lower, according to Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center.
Winter storm watches spread more than 1,700 miles from Arizona to Virginia, with extreme cold warnings covering the northern Great Plains and upper Midwest, where wind chills may drop to -45F in Minneapolis and -50F in Fargo, North Dakota, the National Weather Service said.
The storm itself will build Friday through Sunday, promising to snarl air travel and threatening power outages, especially in Texas, where the state's grid will once again be tested. With many residents relying on electricity for heat, blackouts would be dangerous, but the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said it expects grid conditions to be “normal.”
The state has taken a number of steps to improve grid reliability since 2021, when a devastating winter storm caused widespread power outages and left more than 200 people dead. The operator now requires that electricity generators and transmission facilities be weatherized and inspected by the council.
The storm threatens as much as 60 hours of below-freezing temperatures across large parts of Texas, Hurley said. Cold will arrive Friday, including in the oil-rich Permian Basin, before rain, snow and ice spread across the state through the weekend. natural gas production may face disruptions.
Energy demand is likely to rise over the next two weeks as the cold settles in, according to BloombergNEF.
Abilene, Texas, is forecast to drop to 12F Friday night, and then stay below the freezing mark of 32F through at least Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Midland will fall to 13F Friday night, with a high of 19F on Saturday and low of 9F later in the day.
“The great state of Texas is going to see it all,” Hurley said. “Snow in the north, rain in the south and everything in between.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated the state's emergency response resources ahead of the storm, which means workers, including the National Guard, will be standing by to help stranded motorists and will be monitoring natural gas and electric supplies.
Meanwhile, the chance New York City and Boston will get snow on Sunday is also rising, Hurley said. Computer forecast models have been bringing the storm farther north with every new run.
In the Southern US, air delays are possible as airports in that region typically have less de-icing equipment. Atlanta, a major flight hub, has a 50% chance of getting at least a quarter inch of ice Saturday. Airlines, including Delta Air Lines Inc and United Airlines Holdings, began warning travelers about the potential for delays and cancellations across dozens of cities in the Southeast and along the East Coast, offering to waive fees if customers choose to change their plans in advance.
“It is going to be a big problem,” Hurley said. “It would be tough if you were leaving on Sunday.”
ALSO READ: South Korea's Kospi Tops 5,000 As AI Demand Fuels Market Surge
Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit.
