Record snowstorm appears in the US, paralyzing traffic

(CLO) A powerful winter storm hit the central US on January 5, bringing heavy snow, ice and plunging temperatures, paralyzing traffic and threatening millions of people.

Meteorologists warn it could be the biggest snowstorm in a decade, with heavy snowfall, dangerous ice and temperatures plunging to -18°C in some areas.

Governors in Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and Kentucky have declared states of emergency as the storm wreaks widespread havoc. Slippery roads and heavy snow have caused travel delays, including several serious accidents in Kansas and Missouri.

A car is stuck between two trucks in icy weather in Kansas on January 4. Photo: Kansas Highway Patrol

Kansas City International Airport was forced to temporarily suspend flight operations due to rapidly accumulating ice, causing dozens of flight delays.

Record snowfalls have hit eastern New York and Pennsylvania, with some 24 inches (60 cm) falling. Meanwhile, in the Appalachians, the threat of freezing rain and snow continues to complicate matters, with millions of people potentially without power as icy lines and trees fall.

Authorities are urging people to stay indoors and prepare for extreme weather conditions. Warming centers have been opened at churches and libraries across the central US to help people cope with the cold.

In Kentucky, where many communities have yet to fully recover from a deadly storm in September, Governor Andy Beshear warned of prolonged power outages and severe disruptions in the coming days.

Scientists say climate change is one of the reasons extreme weather events like this storm are becoming more common and severe. Rapid warming of the Arctic is destabilizing the polar vortex, sending cold air down into the central and eastern United States.

Ngoc Anh (according to KTP, AFP, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-tuyet-ky-luc-xuat-hien-o-my-lam-te-liet-giao-thong-post329080.html