The US Becomes a Frozen Kingdom... Largest Snowstorm Damage in 10 Years

Up to 35cm of Snowfall Forecast in Kansas, Missouri, and Other Areas

As a winter storm accompanied by blizzards and a cold wave swept across North America, the central and eastern United States recorded the highest snowfall in the past decade on the 5th (local time), according to reports from AP and CNN.

On the 5th, a winter storm in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, trapped trucks and cars in deep snow on State Highway 264. Photo by UPI

On the 5th, a winter storm in Louisville, Kentucky, trapped trucks and cars in deep snow on State Highway 264. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Some areas in Kansas saw 25cm of snow, while Louisville, Kentucky recorded 19.5cm of snowfall, the most since 1910. In northern parts of Kansas and Missouri, snowfall is expected to reach up to 35cm.

Major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska, and parts of Indiana were covered with snow and ice, prompting the National Guard to rescue drivers stranded on the roads. Interstate 70, a major highway stretching from the Missouri border to central Kansas, was closed due to heavy snow. Missouri police reported that around 600 drivers were searched for after being stranded, and 285 accidents were responded to. Virginia police reported 135 accidents on the 5th, with some injuries reported.

The eastern region was also affected, with areas from Ohio to Washington D.C. seeing heavy snowfall of 15 to 30cm.

Transportation Paralyzed: 1,500 Flights Canceled, 7,100 Delayed

Transportation networks, including air and rail, were paralyzed. On the 5th, 20 train services were canceled, with another 40 on the 6th and at least 2 more on the 7th expected to be canceled.

On the 5th, a Boeing 747 cargo jet was parked at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Heavy snowfall along with freezing rain and ice accumulation made visibility nearly impossible. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On the 5th, a Boeing 747 cargo jet was parked at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Heavy snowfall along with freezing rain and ice accumulation made visibility nearly impossible. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, as of 8:05 p.m. on Sunday, more than 1,500 flights were canceled and over 7,100 were delayed across the United States. At Kansas City International Airport in particular, 94% of departing flights and 90% of arriving flights were canceled.

The ultra-cold polar vortex usually rotates around the Arctic. When this vortex expands southward, severe cold hits the United States, Europe, and Asia. According to AP, research indicates that rapid Arctic warming is one of the causes of increased vortex frequency.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), as of the 5th, 63 million people live in areas under winter weather advisories or warnings.

Hundreds of schools in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington, Philadelphia, and other areas were closed. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Virginia declared states of emergency.

The NWS predicted that on the 6th, temperatures in about two-thirds of the eastern United States could drop 7 to 14 degrees below average. In some areas, temperatures below minus 18 degrees Celsius are expected.