Air traffic was also disrupted due to the heavy snowfall that hit the country.
A powerful winter storm hit the United States on Wednesday February 22 and is expected to sweep the country from west to east, causing heavy snowfall that is making travel difficult in many regions.
From the Pacific coast to the Great Lakes, a large part of the country has been hit by blizzards which must dump up to 60 centimeters of snow in places. In addition to the northern part of the country, accustomed to heavy snowfall, other more unexpected areas, including parts of southern California are subject to a snow alert.
More than 1,500 flights canceled Wednesday evening
Near the Great Lakes, in the north of the country, a “historic winter storm (which) will likely make travel impossible” due to snowfall and winds between 55 and 70 kilometers per hour, warned the US Weather Service (NWS).
At 11 p.m. Paris time, more than 1,500 flights to or from the United States had been canceled, according to the specialized site Flightaware. Denver Airport in Colorado was particularly affected.
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Road traffic was also difficult, especially in Wyoming, where authorities estimated that “multi-day closures are likely on highways and secondary roads” of this northwestern state.
About 150,000 homes were without electricity across the country, according to the PowerOutage site, particularly in California, where high winds caused trees to fall.
Blizzard alert near Los Angeles
An exceptional blizzard warning was issued for the mountains around Los Angeles starting Thursday morning. The region should expect snowfall sometimes from 300 meters above sea level. “Cold and Dangerous” according to local NWS services, the winter storm must remain over the region “a large part of the week”. “Strong and potentially destructive winds are also expected”, also warned meteorologists. In addition to the mountains, some hills could thus see their snowy peaks.
And while the West and the North are shivering, the eastern part of the country is experiencing an unusual heat episode. Ohio and the mid-Atlantic coast should expect temperatures about 4 degrees above seasonal averages. “Temperatures…will be more like June than February,” the NWS said.