Over the last few days, over half of the American population — 165 million people across 36 states — have been dealing with some sort of snowstorm or extreme temperatures.
In the Northeast corridor stretching from Tennessee up to Maine, multiple cities have been under a low weather advisory as temperatures in the week of Jan. 20 reached the low tens in major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
A man is seen shoveling snow in a winter storm.
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Meteorologists warn of ‘closures, dangerous travel, power and infrastructure disruptions’
While the Midwestern part of the country is more used to seeing such temperatures, an arctic vortex moving through the area pushed the National Weather Service to issue an advisory against a combination of wind and chill — in states such as Michigan, Indiana and Illinois temperatures reached 18 degrees below zero.
On Jan. 20 and 21, Amtrak canceled multiple train routes through the area due to freezing of the tracks and snow accumulation while many parts of Louisiana, Georgia and Texas are also seeing uncharacteristically cold weather extending into Wednesday and Thursday.
“Closures, dangerous travel, power and other infrastructure disruptions are possible,” the Weather Channel wrote of the changes. “Where bands of heavier snowfall rates develop we could see higher totals of up to a half-foot, especially in southern Louisiana and southeast Texas.”
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Other areas to get new travel advisories instructing to avoid non-essential travel include multiple counties in upstate and western New York — Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming and Allegany counties.
Travel by car is especially discouraged as, in many places, roads can be covered by up to two feet of snow.
Multiple advisories in order: ‘No unnecessary travel is recommended’
“Based on the reports from the field, a Travel/Driving Advisory exists for all of Erie County except for the northern towns,” Erie County Executive Mark Polencarz wrote on social media platform X. “No unnecessary travel is recommended.”
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While some parts of the country saw the worst of the snowstorm during the early parts of the week, others are only now catching up with the polar vortex making its way through their state.
Valdosta, a Georgia town located a four-hour drive south of Atlanta, saw snowfall for the first time since 2018. Due to the Southern town’s unpreparedness for such temperatures, the local police department issued an advisory saying that locals should stay off the roads except in cases of work, medical emergencies or the need to secure essential items.
In other parts of Georgia, counties such as Brooks, Calhoun, Randolph, Thomas and Worth have instated curfews lasting until noon or in some cases the end of the day on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Those stopped driving on the highways without an essential reason could be slapped with a fine of up to $1,000.
“As we continue to coordinate with state and local officials throughout the state, I urge everyone to make their own preparations to ensure they and their families can remain safe over the coming days, especially if road conditions prevent travel,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said in a Jan. 20 statement.
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