Over 55 million people are under winter weather alerts as a round of moisture moves north and collides with a cold air front that has been hovering over the northern US, spanning from Kansas to New York. As slippery roadways led to reports of cars losing control or spinning out on Monday, accumulating ice remains the most significant threat on Tuesday. Even small coatings of ice can cause issues on untreated pavements, and larger ice build-ups can cause tree damage, power outages and hurt unwary travelers.
Several national weather service offices are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution if travel is essential. In Des Moines, Iowa, where a mix of ice and snow is expected, the National Weather Service warned of “messy, hazardous travel” on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, Indiana, despite air temperatures being slightly above freezing, the weather service cautions that ice can still coat roads and sidewalks. “Drive slow and safe!” the agency emphasizes.
Winter weather alerts will begin expiring on Tuesday across the central US and Great Lakes, but alerts for interior New York may extend into Wednesday. After days of heavy rainfall, areas of the South that were previously parched, such as Louisiana and Mississippi, are also now under a multi-day rainfall event, with the heaviest rainfall predicted to soak the states on Wednesday. The National Weather Service office in Jackson, Mississippi, predicts that although the area has become extremely dry, the ground is hard and dormant, leaving the areas vulnerable to flooding.
Drought conditions in the areas encompass over 80% of Mississippi and over 90% of Louisiana. Over 10% of both states are now under exceptional drought conditions, which is categorized as the most severe level on the US Drought Monitor scale.
Although recent bouts of moisture have improved the upper surface layers of soil, much more rainfall is undoubtedly needed to tackle long-term precipitation deficits and recharge groundwater.
Winter weather circumstances usually call for people to snuggle indoors, but not for progressive states such as Minnesota. The winter problems sweeping America have been a welcome rarity for the Minnesota Ice Castles, which opened this year with 50 towers of giant icicles, frozen thrones, and tunnels of solid ice -all created using the freezing weather. While winter troubles usually create discomfort for some, they also serve to provide opportunities for others in some parts of the country.
