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Millions of people in the southern and central US are preparing for an ice storm

2023-01-31T12:11:04.097Z


Nearly 38 million people from Texas and Oklahoma to eastern Kentucky and West Virginia are under various forms of winter weather warnings that will bring rain, sleet and snow.


The central US, under alert for winter storms 0:55

(CNN) --

A winter storm that brought the triple threat of ice, sleet and snow Tuesday to parts of the southern and central United States has prompted authorities to close roads and schools while urging people to avoid traveling by car. dangerous conditions.

Nearly 38 million people from Texas and Oklahoma to eastern Kentucky and West Virginia are under various forms of winter weather alerts, including warning of dangerous ice buildups forecast to make roadways a nightmare.

"In addition to potentially dangerous travel conditions, this amount of ice will cause tree damage and power outages in the hardest-hit regions," the National Weather Service warned in its forecast Monday.

In Texas, residents of cities like Dallas, San Antonio and Austin can expect icy roads and some sleet on Tuesday, when heavy rain and flash flooding are also possible in the eastern parts of the state.

Amid such conditions, the governor has asked the state's emergency management division to increase its resources so it can be ready to respond until Thursday.

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  • More than 40 million people are under winter weather advisories from Texas to West Virginia, with significant icing likely

An icy mix blankets the 114 Freeway on January 30, 2023 in Roanoke, Texas.

(Credit: Lola Gomez/The Dallas Morning News/AP)

The storm also shut down several school districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin area on Tuesday, canceling more than 400 flights out of Texas airports.

Several highways in Texas have been closed due to ice buildup, according to the state Department of Transportation.

As ice began to form on roads in Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor declared a state of emergency Monday and activated state National Guard winter weather support teams to be prepared to assist law enforcement in their response to Storm.

“I encourage Arkansans experiencing winter weather to avoid travel if possible and heed warnings from local officials,” Gov. Sarah Sanders said on Twitter.

The emergency order provides $250,000 for discretionary use by the head of the state's Division of Emergency Management to provide funds for program and administrative costs.

“The real enemy is going to be that ice,” said Dave Parker, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

"This could potentially be quite a dangerous situation."

Parker added that most of the state is expected to be affected, and they are monitoring most major highways.

A snowplow clears a southbound lane on I-35 between 15 and 33 as wintry weather hits Edmond and other parts of the Oklahoma City metro Monday morning, January 30, 2023.

(Credit: Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network)

By Monday night, the ice had already spread across land in Memphis, Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky, as well as Texas, where at least a few car crashes were reported in Austin with no injuries.

Ice is the main concern

The storm is poised to produce a mix of winter precipitation ranging from rain and sleet to ice and will hit areas in the southern and central regions in waves through Wednesday.

And while the forecast shows there will be periods of relief over the next two days, roads are likely to remain dangerously slippery during the storm as temperatures remain low.

In fact, Tuesday is expected to be the toughest day for driving as bridges and highways in Texas freeze, the weather service's Fort Worth office said.

“More widespread freezing showers/sleet is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, with travel impacts worsening during this time,” the local weather agency said.

An icy mix blankets the 114 Freeway Monday in Roanoke, Texas.

(Lola Gomez/The Dallas Morning News/AP)

Significant icing of about a half inch is expected on highways in Austin, San Angelo and Dallas, while San Antonio may see up to a tenth of an inch of ice.

Meanwhile, Texas' main electricity provider, the Texas Electric Reliability Board, told CNN that it will be able to meet demand from residents as temperatures plummet.

“We expect enough generation to meet forecast demand and continue to monitor forecasts this week.

We are not asking for Conservation at this time.

We are informing the public that IF they experience an outage to contact their local energy provider,” the agency said in an email.

In other parts of the South, up to half an inch of ice could cover roads in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the state's Dyer County, icy conditions prompted officials to close the I-155 bridge, according to the highway patrol.

Meanwhile, Little Rock in Arkansas is forecast to see multiple rounds of ice that could build up to half an inch.

In neighboring Oklahoma, Oklahoma City residents are under a winter weather advisory through Wednesday afternoon, expecting to see up to two-tenths of an inch of ice.

Ice up to two-tenths of an inch could be seen in Louisville, Kentucky, while Charleston, West Virginia, can see sleet down to 2.5 centimeters and ice up to 20 millimeters.

winter weather

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2023-01-31

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