East Coast Braces for Winter Storm as Midwest Grapples with Lingering Cold, Flood Aftermath

A relentless barrage of winter weather is bearing down on the East Coast, threatening heavy snow and treacherous ice accumulations, while the Midwest continues to shiver under a deep freeze and recover from deadly weekend floods, The Associated Press reports.

The storm, after blanketing the Midwest, is now spreading misery across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, exacerbating challenges for communities still reeling from recent natural disasters.

The National Weather Service predicts up to 10 inches of snow along the Atlantic Coast in Virginia, with significant ice accumulations expected in eastern North Carolina. The brewing storm coincides with an arctic blast, fueled by a polar vortex, that has plunged temperatures to record lows from Montana to southern Texas. Bismarck, North Dakota, shattered a 1910 record on Tuesday, plummeting to minus 39 degrees (minus 39.4 C).

“The biggest batch of record cold temperatures are likely to hit early Thursday and Friday,” warned weather service meteorologist Andrew Orrison.

In anticipation of the approaching ice-and-snow mix, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.

“What we fear the most are road conditions and loss of power due to ice accumulation,” Stein stated on X. “So folks need to be prepared.”

Virginia remains under a similar declaration issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin on February 10, empowering the National Guard and state agencies to support local governments. Both Stein and Youngkin have urged motorists to stay off the roads to avoid potentially hazardous conditions.

The impending snowstorm comes on the heels of devastating weekend storms that claimed at least 17 lives across the eastern US, including 14 in Kentucky. The Bluegrass State is bracing for a half-foot or more of snow beginning Wednesday.

“This is a snowstorm in the middle of a natural disaster,” lamented Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

In southern West Virginia, recent floods killed three people in McDowell County, leaving a trail of destruction with damaged roads and disrupted water systems. Thousands remain without power Tuesday night. Emergency shelters have been established at local churches and schools, with numerous locations providing hot meals to those in need.

McDowell County Commissioner Michael Brooks expressed deep concern that the incoming snowstorm “is going to severely hinder, if not halt, a lot of the efforts that we have.”

“We want to ensure that we are doing our best to at least keep people warm,” he added.

Meanwhile, more than 80 million people across the nation’s midsection are enduring bone-chilling temperatures. Hundreds of school districts in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri have canceled classes or shifted to online learning for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

However, some respite is on the horizon, with temperatures expected to climb above freezing by the weekend.

Despite the challenges, some residents are taking the extreme cold in stride. Stephanie Hatzenbuhler, a farmer and rancher west of Mandan, North Dakota, spoke of adapting to the harsh conditions:

“There’s always something new to learn and something new to experience. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done this, so you have to adapt.”

She wryly referred to the cold snap as “the Siberian experience.”

The widespread cold is also impacting transportation. In northeastern Oklahoma, slick roads contributed to a minor injury accident involving a tractor-trailer hauling eggs on the Will Rogers Turnpike. As the Oklahoma Highway Patrol posted on X: “Expensive cargo right now.”