Deadly winter storm knocks out power to 1.5m

The cold weather isn’t expected to let up in the next few days, with forecasters warning the Arctic storm could bring the iciest Christmas in decades.

However, it’s not expected to be a prolonged period of freezing weather, with the National Weather Service saying that temperatures are likely to “gradually warm” early next week and should reach “seasonal to above-normal temperatures” by the middle of the week.

Flights in the US are being cancelled by the thousand, thanks to a "once-in-a-generation storm", causing chaos during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

If your flight was cancelled in the US, here are some helpful tips:

1. If the airline cancels your flight, you are entitled to a refund, regardless of the reason, the US Department of Transportation says.
2. Talk to an agent as soon as possible. After a flight cancellation, airlines will offer you the chance to rebook. But finding seats on a new flight may be tough.
3. Review the cancellation policy of your airline. Flight cancellation policies can vary from airline to airline and may require different procedures when applying for a refund or rebooking.

In Canada:

1. If the airline cancels your flight in Canada, for reasons outside of its control - like the weather - you are not entitled to monetary compensation or "minimum assistance" (food, drink, access to communications, and overnight accommodations), according to the Canadian Transport Agency.

A video of a sports reporter begrudgingly covering the winter storm for his local news station now has more than 21 million views on Twitter.

Mark Woodley, a sports reporter for NBC affiliate KWWL-TV in Waterloo, Iowa, posted a video compilation of his grumpy outdoor broadcast of the icy weather.

He had to fill in on weather reporting after all local sporting events were cancelled.

"What better time to ask the sports guy to come in about five hours earlier than he would normally wake up, go stand out in the wind and the snow and the cold and tell other people not to do the same?" Woodley asked sarcastically.

He encouraged viewers to "tune in for the next couple hours to watch me progressively get crankier and crankier".

By the end of the broadcast, Woodley said he had "good news" and "bad news".

"The good news is that I can still feel my face right now," the sports reporter said. "The bad news is I kind of wish I couldn't. Can I go back to my regular job?"

Seattle has just seen its coldest day in 12 years.

The sea-level west coast city in Washington state is no stranger to snow - but this ice storm has been different.

Freezing rain and sleet have coated every surface with ice - in some places inches thick. It's caused the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to close all of its runways, and for the public transportation authority to shut services in some areas.

Pictures are emerging of some residents venturing outside their home on ice skates - which is probably the most appropriate method of travel in these conditions.

Ice-coated trees have been knocked over by the strong winds, leading to power outages for parts of the Seattle suburbs.

Authorities are appealing to drivers to stay home if possible, as they attempt to clear the streets of ice. But the removal effort has been complicated by cars crashing into ploughs, taking them out of commission.

Dozens of cities and towns in New Jersey and New York have seen flooding as a result of the storm.

The deluge comes as the National Weather Service issues a rare wind-chill advisory for the area, and forecasters warn that the region will undergo a deep freeze that won't pass until after Christmas on Sunday.

At least two people are confirmed to have been killed in Kentucky, a state in the heart of the Appalachian mountains in the US east.

One person died in a car accident in the western part of the state, Governor Andy Beshear said on Friday.

Another person, who the governor described as "housing insecure" died in Louisville, the state's largest city.

Shortly after his news conference, the governor tweeted that there have been reports of "a third fatality on our roads".

"Please stay home and stay safe," Beshear added.

Police on Friday also confirmed a death due to weather-related causes in Memphis, Tennessee, a state in the southern US.

Police said they found the man dead at around 08:00 local time.

Canadians Annick Ruedi, 47, and her daughter Émeline, 9, headed south this year in the hopes of experiencing a more pleasant winter.

“The goal always was to spend Christmas in gorgeous southern Texas,” said the Ottowa resident, who rented an RV trailer for the voyage. “To finally escape the heaps of snow and freezing cold temperatures we have every year in Canada.”

But mother nature had other plans. Now, they're sheltering on Texas' Mustang Island, on the Gulf of Mexico, where it's too cold to be outside for more than 30 seconds at a time.

The small spit of land near Corpus Christi saw temperatures on Friday afternoon of at a very unseasonal 38 degrees Fahrenheit (or -12 degrees Celsius). “It’s very windy, we have enormous waves,” Ms Ruedi said. “You can definitely see the palm trees bowing.”

Ms Ruedi said she was not immediately concerned for their safety, though she hoped the RV's pipes wouldn't freeze. They had all the supplies they needed, she said, and she planned to buy propane and food later on Friday. When they went out to see the beach on Friday, they donned Santa hats -- an ideal accessory for both the holiday and the weather.

Read more here

Annick RuediCopyright: Annick Ruedi

Faced with severe weather alerts, people should abide by a rule of thumb for household storm preparedness.

"The first 72 are on you," said Eric Stern, a professor at the University of Albany's College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.

This means that individuals and families should have enough food, water and essential medications to last at least 72 hours - or three days.

It's wise to be prepared with supplies for even longer periods than that, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly and those with health conditions, Prof Stern said.

Michael Muccilli, the winter programme co-ordinator with the National Weather Service, advises stocking up on first aid supplies, a torch and batteries in case of a power outage.

People should also have an emergency heat source such as a properly ventilated generator and a functional carbon monoxide detector.

Winter supplies are useful as well, including ice melt salt and a spade to help clear pavements and driveways of heavy snow.

Read more here.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Claire BroadhurstCopyright: Claire Broadhurst

Claire Broadhurst, 46, said she was excited when it warmed up ten degrees to a “balmy” -25C (-13F) in southern Alberta, Canada this afternoon.

“It feels quite a lot warmer,” she said, adding it’s been snowing all day.

Broadhurst had to travel 20 minutes on icy roads to work where she’s a chef in a care home.

She said residents are used to the snow, but the freezing cold has been difficult.

“You’re nervous that your car won’t start in the morning,” she said, adding there’s a two-hour wait for a taxi and an eight-hour wait for roadside assistance.

At home, the furnace “feels like it’s running almost permanently”, she said.

Broadhurst said she is only going outside to warm up her car and scrape off the snow.

She said Alberta usually has a few cold days in February, but not around Christmas, and not for this long.

“It’s been almost a week now” of -35C (-31F) wind chill, she said.

The governor of New York Kathy Hochul has described the Arctic storm sweeping across the United States as a “kitchen stink storm” as she declared a state of emergency in her state on Friday.

“It is throwing everything at us but the kitchen sink,” Hochul said in a press conference. “We’ve had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures, and everything that Mother Nature could wallop at us this weekend.”

She described it as a “life-threatening dangerous event”, and called on New Yorkers to protect themselves and their families.

“Do not travel until the roads are opened, that you know it’s safe,” she said, acknowledging that she recognised that people wanted to spend time with their families.

“But the lives of you and your loved ones come first. This storm will go away, and at the end of it .. we want to make sure everyone is safe.”

Hydro-Quebec, the province's public energy utility, said some customers in Quebec may be without power until early next week.

But they hope the majority of the 350,000 customers currently without power will have it back by Christmas night, utility officials said in a Friday press conference.

Heavy snow and rain along with strong winds have been downing power lines and complicating efforts to restore power - even as workers managed to restore service to more than 100,000 customers, more outages occurred.

Officials thanked customers for their 'resilience' and said they understand the difficulty the situation brings during the holidays when people are looking to enjoy time with family.

The US state of Texas is known for a lot of things, but sub-freezing temperatures generally aren’t one of them (particularly in the southern region of the state).

Yet temperatures in Houston, the state’s most populated city, were 20F this morning and have barely moved higher since. That’s a sharp contrast to the city’s typical 50F weather most Decembers.

Texans are scrambling for their winter coats, many for the first time. Most homes aren’t stocked with snow-repelling salts, nor city budgets stacked with funding for snow-plough machines. Fire places are more often decorative than functional.

Snow storms typically aren’t a concern for most Texans either, even amid a bomb cyclone. But power outages are a very real fear.

Almost a year ago, in February 2021, Winter Storm Uri caused a massive power blackout across the state. For days, millions of Texans endured brutally cold temperatures without heat or electricity. Over 200 people died.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages a majority of the state's electrical power, made changes to the power grid after last year's storm to improve performance.

The company said it expects supply to meet the surge in demand likely to accompany this year’s winter storm.

“As we monitor weather conditions, we want to assure Texans that the grid is resilient and reliable,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said in a statement.

Twitter/@OPP_WRCopyright: Twitter/@OPP_WR

Snow, winds and ice are continuing to cause dangerous travel conditions, and authorities throughout the US and Canada are urging drivers to avoid all unnecessary travel outside the home. Here's are some of the key stories:

• A highway near Toronto has been closed after Canadian police said more than 50 vehicles were involved in a major pile-up that sent two people to hospital
• Blizzard conditions have closed roughly 135 miles (217 km) of highway in New York state
• Several road accident deaths in recent days in the US have been linked with the bad weather
• In the US Pacific Northwest, an ice storm has blanketed roads in thick slabs of ice that have led some people to venture out of their homes on ice skates

If you’re just joining us here’s a look at some of the key developments as a powerful Arctic storm sweeps its way across much of the United States and Canada.

• In the US, more than one million people are without power, with eastern states being some of the worst affected. In North Carolina, about 175,000 people are without power, while in Virginia that figure stands at 152,000. Other hard hit states include Maine, Tennessee, New York and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, there are an estimated 340,000 power outages in Canada, with the vast majority occurring in Quebec
• The National Weather Service (NWS) has put in place weather warnings across much of the United States, particularly the east, northeast, southeast and northwest. A storm warning is in place for most of the country’s east coast, while the southeast – from Florida to Texas – has gale and hard freeze (an extended cold period) warnings. The north – particularly parts of Minnesota and North and South Dakota – have blizzard warnings in place, while the northwest around Washington and Oregon have winter storm warnings
• Transport has been hit hard in the build-up to the Christmas holidays, and more than 4,600 flights have been cancelled in the United States today, according to FlightAware. The country has also seen more than 6,000 flight delays
• As well as snow and ice, residents of eastern America have been told to prepare for flooding, with coastal flood warnings in place in parts of New York State and Massachusetts. Floods have also been reported in Rhode Island and Atlantic City
• Several accidents across the US have also been linked to the bad weather, and include a man – thought to be homeless – who died after being found out in the cold in Texas, as well as a number of fatal road crashes in poor conditions

As Iowans continue to feel the impact of the winter storm, the state's governor, Kim Reynolds, has issued a proclamation that eases restrictions for delivery and access to fuel used for heat.

The state says this applies to any propane, diesel, natural gas and other fuels used to heat homes and businesses, and will remain in effect until 1 January 2023.

Iowa is one of the many US states under a wind chill warning, where temperatures have dipped to -35F (-30C).

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Pets can face risks from the cold weather, just like their owners. Here are some steps you can take to protect your animals, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

• Stay inside as much as possible. Dogs and cats are vulnerable to frostbite and hypothermia too, and should be kept indoors. Longer-haired animals may be better prepared for cold weather, but no pets should be left outside for extended periods in below-freezing temperatures
• Check your pet’s paws for signs of cold-weather injuries, such as cracked paws or bleeding. When returning from a walk, be sure to wash or wipe down your pet’s feet, legs and body to remove potential chemicals such as anti-freeze (which they may want to lick off) or bits of snow that have stuck to their body and could risk making them ill
• During cold spells, cats can be drawn to sheltered places such as under a car engine or between the tyres. Before starting your car, be sure to check underneath the vehicle, and bang the bonnet or honk the horn to alert hiding cats of your presence
• If your dog has short hair or is struggling with the cold, consider buying them a dog coat to keep them warm. Have several available and ensure they are dry before putting them on – a wet coat will make your pet even colder. Dog boots can also help keep their feet warm
• Clean up any spills of antifreeze immediately, as this liquid can be deadly to animals. While pets are inside during the cold weather, make sure they can't access medication bottles, household chemicals, or potentially toxic foods such as onions and chocolate

It is so cold right now in the US state of Montana that boiling water instantly freezes when thrown into the air outside.

A wind chill warning of -30F (-34C) to -50F (-46C) is in effect.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Here in Michigan, we’re used to frigid winter weather.

During several winters when I was growing up, temperatures frequently fell as low as 10F (-12C), including a brutally cold polar vortex in 2014, when wind chill temps hit -30F (-34C).

Our coldest temperature on record is an astounding -51F (-46C), which hit the northern town of Vanderbilt in 1934.

As a result, we are probably better prepared than many US states for this Arctic storm, which has brought chilly temperatures, strong winds and up to a foot (30 cm) of snow to some parts of our Great Lake state.

Our snow ploughs are prepped and ready to go after an overnight blizzard. I saw several on the roads during a 15-minute drive this morning.

Our residents are used to the morning winter routine of sprinkling salt on their steps and spending 20 minutes scraping stubborn frost off car windshields.

Home heating costs can be expensive in our cold state, but Michiganders are used to footing the bill.

That said, the freezing weather can still claim lives in Michigan, especially among vulnerable populations like the homeless. In 2019, two men in Michigan’s biggest city of Detroit were found dead outside during another polar vortex.

Officials say they're taking several steps to ensure residents’ safety this week during the Arctic storm, including sending extra troopers to help drivers on the roads and coordinating with humanitarian groups such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

Craig McBriertyCopyright: Craig McBrierty

Craig McBrierty - who's originally from Scotland but moved to Colorado last summer - says the weather is “colder than I have ever experienced”.

The 34-year old and his wife Katie live on the east side of Denver, where temperatures dropped dramatically over two hours on Wednesday.

“The big low pressure system has brought down extreme cold, a big cold front, and our temperature plummeted from touching 10 on Wednesday to waking up on Thursday morning to the car saying -16F (-26C)," he tells the BBC.

“It certainly takes your breath away when you go outside. At work we were doing things outside and it was a case of ‘oh, that’s cold!’ when you first breathed in.

“It was hats, gloves, big jackets, thick boots with thick socks. Fortunately I don’t work outside a lot. Anything outside seems to have come to a close – the main thing I’ve seen is loads and loads of snow ploughs.”

Craig McBriertyCopyright: Craig McBrierty