As the multifaceted storm continued its journey, ice blanketed a vast area of the United States Thursday evening, adding to power disruptions and life-threatening traffic conditions across the country.
In an aerial view, U.S. and Texas state flags fly over a Nissan car dealership as light traffic moves through snow and ice on U.S. Route 183 on February 03, 2022 in Irving, Texas. A winter storm blanketed much of Texas with snow, sleet and freezing rain, as it swept east, also affecting much of the midwest and eastern United States.
Declaring Disaster
According to authorities, Texas was one of many states affected by a large winter storm that interrupted air travel across the country and caused mayhem on the roadways, resulting in at least one fatality.
On Thursday, one of the counties included in the disaster designation was Denton County, where AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell had earlier reported on the storm.
Wadell stated that everything turns into an icy glaze while holding an ice-encased tree branch in a TV forecast.
According to FlightAware, the storm hindered air traffic at airports in Texas, Illinois, Colorado, and Ohio, with over 5,200 flights canceled in the United States on Thursday.
As of Thursday night, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has had over 1,400 arrival and departure cancellations, with at least another 156 planes delayed. Some of the flights were canceled when American Airlines decided to cancel the remainder of its inbound flights to Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday night.
According to the airline, the flights were canceled due to deteriorating weather conditions, which it expects to affect Friday's flights as well.
Following last February's hard frost, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) proclaimed most of its electric generating units and transmission infrastructure completely winterized, putting the state's power grid to the test.
According to The Associated Press, local power outages accounted for around 70,000 consumers across the state by Thursday morning, with winds and ice conditions interfering with power lines rather than power generators falling offline like they did last February.
Related Article: Winter Storm Landon to Bring Freezing Rain and Heavy Snow as Groundhog Day Grows Near
Damages of Winter Storm
On Wednesday, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) in New Mexico reported a fatality in a rollover incident on a steep route just outside of Albuquerque due to the icy conditions.
Officials blocked the path following the collision, causing very slippery and snow-packed conditions. The BCSO recorded at least 24 car collisions during the day, 13 of which resulted in injuries and four rolled vehicles.
After severe weather formed in western Alabama, a second fatality was reported on Thursday, this time on the warmer side of the storm. According to Hale County Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden, a radar-confirmed tornado killed one lady and wounded at least eight others. Three of the victims were critically injured, while the remaining five had minor injuries.
Storm Trajectory
A woman and her dog play on the snow after a winter storm in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, border with El Paso, Texas, US on, February 3, 2022.
As the storm moved eastward, it was preceded by a vast swath of winter storm warnings ranging from Texas to Maine. Temperatures plunged throughout most of the central United States this week as a powerful cold front swept across the region.
Also Read: Texas Freeze Survivor Uses Tiktok to Help Others Prepare for Intense Winter
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