New York State has announced a state of emergency in preparation for an impending severe winter storm described as “catastrophic” as it heads towards the United States. Governor Kathy Hochul declared the emergency during a press conference on Friday, highlighting the state’s readiness with ample salt supplies for road treatment and authorizing all state staff to work remotely on Monday.
As the country gears up for heavy snow, ice, and freezing rain, a total of 14 states have already declared emergencies. This weather event is the result of a convergence of a low-pressure system in the Southwest and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico colliding with extremely cold Arctic air from Canada.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has reported that the storm, originating over the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, is expected to impact southern and midwestern states starting Friday, moving across the east coast by Saturday and reaching Maine by Sunday. The NWS has issued warnings for significant snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a wide region from the Southern Rockies to New England, affecting areas from Texas to Washington DC, New York, and Boston.
Approximately 160 million people across 30 states, nearly half of the country’s population, are likely to be affected by snow and ice accumulation, with some areas anticipating over 12 inches of snow by the weekend’s end. States that have declared emergencies include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
The winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, blowing snow, and dangerous wind chills, according to the NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory. The NWS has cautioned that the storm could lead to extensive ice accumulation, resulting in prolonged power outages, significant tree damage, and hazardous travel conditions.
US President Donald Trump, known for his skepticism of climate change, took to social media to comment on the extreme cold weather, questioning the concept of global warming. Meteorologists attribute the current weather patterns to the Polar Vortex, a large system of frigid air surrounding the poles that is now sending Arctic air across North America.
Recent scientific studies suggest that warming in the Arctic can disrupt the polar vortex, potentially causing it to weaken or split, leading to more frequent extreme winter weather occurrences.
