Powerful winter storm dumps snow, brings Arctic cold to northeastern U.S.

[News_Editor]

By James Valles

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful winter blast of freezing temperatures and whiteout conditions crippled much of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States on Friday, prompting closures and the cancellation of thousands of flights. At least nine deaths were blamed on the storm.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the system, which dumped a foot (30 centimeters) of snow on Chicago on New Year's Day, moved East, unleashing nearly 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow in areas near Boston and more than 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) in New York City.

The snowfall had cancelled more than 2,000 flights across the affected region by Friday afternoon, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks commercial flight activity across the United States. Approximately 2,600 U.S. flights were cancelled on Thursday as a result of the winter storm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

At Chicago's Midway airport, where temperatures plummeted to a bone chilling 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius), Southwest Airlines said the effects of the storm forced them to proactively cancel all operations until Friday afternoon. Hundreds of stranded passengers had already spent the night on the tarmac, sleeping in planes.

"The storm system is causing widespread delays and cancellations," a Southwest statement read, adding that it was working with authorities to recover from the impact of the winter storm. All New York City airports were temporarily closed on Friday morning but later reopened, although hundreds of cancellations were reported throughout the day.

In New York City, newly sworn-in Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to stay indoors and out of expected dangerously cold temperatures. All public schools and some businesses in the city remained closed. "This has been and remains a dangerous storm. It is going to be bitter cold today, and New Yorkers need to be extremely careful going outdoors," he said.

De Blasio added: "The best things people can do are to stay off the roads so we can clear them as fast as possible, and to check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbors who might need help this morning." He also urged residents who did need to go somewhere to use mass transportation.

The winter storm, which has unofficially been dubbed 'Hercules,' had been blamed for at least nine deaths by Friday afternoon.

The National Weather service said some of the coldest air of the year should arrive by the weekend over the northern tier of the country. Heavy wind gusts could bring wind chills to more than minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-28.8 degrees Celsius), making frostbite a real concern.

"The polar vortex is expected to drop from Central Canada bringing dangerously cold temperatures to the Northern Plains/Upper Midwest by Saturday," the NWS wrote. "The combination of the modified arctic air with the gusty winds will lower wind chill temperatures to the single digits over the Mid-Atlantic while areas of New England can expect readings into the -10s and -20s."

The weather service warned people in the affected areas to dress appropriately to avoid hypothermia and cover all exposed skin.

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

[F430murci]

Yeah, this is a bad one. Real bad one. I am at my Nashville office the next couple of weeks and it will be a high of 12f and a low of 3f on Monday. I honestly cannot ever remember it being that cold. The next day is a balmy 21f with a low of 12f. My Siberian born wife has already said she is going to go to the grocery store and not leave the house those two days . . . What sucks is I have to work, I am trying to get over a flu and this cold weather is killing me.

Just heard from a friend up North. 2f there right now 2:33 p.m. and their power is out . . . They will be getting much colder so hope their power gets restored soon!

[Suradit69]

Anyone feeling homesick??

[Publicus]

I'm from there so I lived my first 30 years in that sh*t and have spent most of the second 30 years getting closer to the equator - from Boston to Washington DC to Atlanta to Thailand.

I see Canada is sending down yet another, this time "polar vortex" for everyone in the northern tier of the US to tear over.

There are only two seasons back there - winter and August.

There are only two seasons here, either wet and dry or hot and cold, depending on one's sensitivities.

I take tropical Thailand anytime, every time.

Yes indeed.

They can have it back there and they are welcome to keep it for themselves.

[Scott]

No, there are 4 season there. June, July, August and Winter.

[Publicus]

I'm from there so I lived my first 30 years in that sh*t and have spent most of the second 30 years getting closer to the equator - from Boston to Washington DC to Atlanta to Thailand.

I see Canada is sending down yet another, this time "polar vortex" for everyone in the northern tier of the US to tear over.

There are only two seasons back there - winter and August.

There are only two seasons here, either wet and dry or hot and cold, depending on one's sensitivities.

I take tropical Thailand anytime, every time.

Yes indeed.

They can have it back there and they are welcome to keep it for themselves.

In saying there are two season here, I should have said either wet and dry; hot or very hot

No, there are 4 season there. June, July, August and Winter.

Which accounts for why I never got to play baseball in the majors . School ball was played April and May which are still windy, cold or cool and I never could get loose under those conditions. Very hard in the cold to get a good cut, run, throw the ball .

June and July were more comfy and we played American Legion ball at night which made it very hard to see the ball even with all those lights on

During August everybody all around had tournaments everywhere which is when I earned my keep .

After August came eight months of shoveling it which gave me a good prepping for internet forums.

[Suradit69]

I'm from there so I lived my first 30 years in that sh*t and have spent most of the second 30 years getting closer to the equator - from Boston to Washington DC to Atlanta to Thailand.

I see Canada is sending down yet another, this time "polar vortex" for everyone in the northern tier of the US to tear over.

There are only two seasons back there - winter and August.

There are only two seasons here, either wet and dry or hot and cold, depending on one's sensitivities.

I take tropical Thailand anytime, every time.

Yes indeed.

They can have it back there and they are welcome to keep it for themselves.

"I'm from there so I lived my first 30 years in that sh*t and have spent most of the second 30 years getting closer to the equator"

Likewise. First 28 years in Chicago then next 40 or so in southern Africa, United Arab Emirates and Thailand.

One time I did a brief visit back to Chicago in the December/January holiday season. Never again. Aside from the cold and snow, you only saw the sun about 10 minutes per week. All subsequent visits have been in the summer.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Suradit69

[Scott]

I grew up a lot further north than Chicago, but I was once in Chicago during the winter and it experiences a sort of bone-chilling cold. I think it's the wind coming off the lake. The temperatures where I lived were colder, but Chicago was harder to endure.

[MJP]

Anyone feeling homesick??

[Publicus]

I'm from there so I lived my first 30 years in that sh*t and have spent most of the second 30 years getting closer to the equator - from Boston to Washington DC to Atlanta to Thailand.

I see Canada is sending down yet another, this time "polar vortex" for everyone in the northern tier of the US to tear over.

There are only two seasons back there - winter and August.

There are only two seasons here, either wet and dry or hot and cold, depending on one's sensitivities.

I take tropical Thailand anytime, every time.

Yes indeed.

They can have it back there and they are welcome to keep it for themselves.

"I'm from there so I lived my first 30 years in that sh*t and have spent most of the second 30 years getting closer to the equator"

Likewise. First 28 years in Chicago then next 40 or so in southern Africa, United Arab Emirates and Thailand.

One time I did a brief visit back to Chicago in the December/January holiday season. Never again. Aside from the cold and snow, you only saw the sun about 10 minutes per week. All subsequent visits have been in the summer.

I've always thought you were an intelligent guy .

I've never returned to Boston during winter there, even for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year. I go only during the second season, August (also known as the fourth season in certain parts). Sometimes I return during June or July. The bitter cold and wind chill remain vivid, especially one time when I was out one viciously cold night.

I grew up a lot further north than Chicago, but I was once in Chicago during the winter and it experiences a sort of bone-chilling cold. I think it's the wind coming off the lake. The temperatures where I lived were colder, but Chicago was harder to endure.

I've always enjoyed Garrison Keillor and his tales of Lake Woebegone, especially his statement that up there in Minnesota Nature tries to kill everyone several times each year, during winter of course - which includes almost all of the months on the calendar.

One time I got sent to a convention in Minneapolis in January. I still dunno what I did at work that brought that punishment down on me, but at least I got to walk in attachments constructed between buildings in the city center, which allowed people to walk indoors through the central area. It's a lot of walking to get from point A to point B, but at least it's not outside in the frigid cold and through the snow. And yes, I did have to go out one night and it did remind me of the vivid frigid bitter night in Boston I recall so well to this moment.

I also spent an October only in Chicago on special assignment but had no problem with it. You guys over there are actually lucky because you get a dry cold!

[canuckamuck]

I prefer to say we have 10 months of winter and 2 months of bad skating.

We sent you the cold to help with your global warming problem. No charge

[Luke FOSTER]

Its a huge alarm for affected areas peoples.More than 2,000 flights across the affected region has been canceled.Peoples are suffering from a horrible condition.

[Asiantravel]

This article says that there is even worse to come in the form of a rare 'polar vortex' due in the Midwest . And it will be the coldest temp experienced in almost three generations. What people have experienced so far in terms of freezing temperatures were simply a warm-up and that next will be a big chill for 140 million people.

Minus 31 in International Falls, Minnesota but because of the winds, 'It may feel as cold as negative 50 to negative 60

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2533458/Flood-Hercules-grip-Northeast-Canada-records-temperatures-cold-MARS.html

Edited January 5, 2014 by Asiantravel