New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in several western counties on Friday due to snowfall. It is also snowing heavily in regions around the Great Lakes, and warnings have been issued in the southern US due to low temperatures. Meteorologists predict weather like in the middle of winter.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued lake effect snowfall warnings for New York, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Approximately 185 centimeters of snow may fall during rainfall forecast throughout the weekend.
– As lake effect snow reaches parts of western and central New York and the North Country (areas around the Adirondack Mountains and Lakes Champlain and Ontario), we are closely monitoring the situation and mobilizing resources. Together with our partners in local government, we are taking all necessary steps to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities safe, said Kathy Hochul. It assigned 100 National Guard officers to help.
Snow covered roads in PennsylvaniaCNN
According to local station WKBW, empty freight vehicles were banned on Friday on some roads and highways, including those in the Buffalo area and Niagara Falls.
-40 degrees
In western states such as California, Colorado and Utah, forecasters also forecast snowfall. And the northern Great Plains are bracing for extreme cold. Heavy frosts have hit North Dakota, with the wind chill reaching as low as -40 degrees Celsius.
Cold weather warnings were also issued for nine southern states, including Texas, Florida and North and South Carolina.
“This cold outbreak will be reminiscent of January and will come as a major shock to hundreds of millions of people who have become accustomed to warm conditions for much of the fall,” said AccuWeather chief meteorologist Paul Pastelok, quoted by Newsweek.
Main photo source: CNN