The United States hit by a massive winter storm
Heaviest snow showers expected in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
A powerful winter storm is rolling across the United States on Wednesday and is sweeping across the country from west to east bringing heavy snowfall that is making travel difficult in many areas.
From the Pacific coast to the Great Lakes, a large part of the country is hit by blizzards which are expected to dump up to 60 centimeters of snow in places.
Result: Air traffic is largely disrupted and more than a hundred thousand people are without electricity.
In addition to the northern part of the country, which is used to heavy snowfall, other areas less often hit by winter storms, including parts of southern California, are under snowfall alert. snow.
Near the Great Lakes in northern Canada, a historic winter storm will likely make travel impossible due to snowfall and winds between 55 and 70 km/h , warned the US Weather Service (NWS).
If you must travel, bring an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Travel should be limited to emergencies only, advised the NWS. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stuck, stay in your vehicle.
More than 1,500 flights to or from the United States had been canceled in the evening, according to the specialized site FlightAware. Denver, Colorado's airport was particularly hard hit.
Road traffic is also difficult, especially in Wyoming, where authorities said they estimate closures of several Days are likely on highways and back roads in this northwestern state.
About 150,000 homes are without power nationwide, according to the site PowerOutage, especially in California, where high winds caused trees to fall.
An exceptional blizzard warning was issued for the mountains around Los Angeles starting Thursday morning. This region should expect snowfall, sometimes as low as 300 meters above sea level.
Cold and dangerous, depending on services NWS premises, the winter storm is expected to remain in the region for much of the week.
Violent and potentially destructive winds are also expected, meteorologists have also warned.
In addition to the mountains, some hills could thus see their snow-capped peaks.
Almost everyone in California will be able to see snow […] during the week if they look in the right direction, climatologist Daniel Swain summarized on Twitter.
Below normal temperatures in Southern California remain very bearable, however, unlike the central and northern United States, where the mercury could reach -34°C.
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 Seaboard should therefore expect temperatures about four degrees above seasonal averages.
Temperatures […] will look more like June's than February's, the NWS explained.
