AUSTIN, Texas – Almost 300,000 homes and businesses across the state were without power Wednesday and more than 2,200 flights were canceled amid an unrelenting blast of treacherous, icy conditions and brutal cold that has left at least six dead.
The winter weather system, now in its third day, has swept from Minnesota deep into the heart of Texas. Wrecks on slippery roads have been reported in Texas, Arkansas and other states across the region all week.
Power outages could last 12-24 hours in Austin, Austin Energy warned.
“These weather-related outages are widespread. Ice is bringing down power lines and tree limbs,” the city’s community-owned electric utility tweeted. “Crews are facing icy roads & frozen equipment making it difficult to provide estimated restoration times.”
Parts of Texas were colder than Alaska. AccuWeather reported a “real feel” temperature of 28 degrees in Dallas on Wednesday morning – three degrees warmer than in Anchorage, Alaska.
Weather developments:
►In Memphis, services for Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by police officers during a traffic stop last month, was delayed more than two hours “due to weather and travel delays.”
►In parts of Minnesota, a wind chill advisory was in effect Wednesday morning amid wind chills dropping as low as 35 degrees below zero.
►A winter storm warning was also in effect until Thursday in east central, southeast and southern Oklahoma.
►LaGuardia Airport in New York experienced a ground stop for the second morning in a row because of wintry conditions, and later reported average delays of more than 40 minutes.
WHAT IS WIND CHILL? Understanding the wind chill index and how it’s calculated
Wind chill of 35 degrees below zero in Northern Minnesota
On Minnesota’s annual Winter Walk and Winter Walk to School Day, residents of some areas of northern Minnesota woke up to temperatures as low as 25 degrees, the National Weather Service office in Duluth said. Light winds meant 35 below in some areas, where a Wind Chill Advisory was in effect.
The event encourages everyone to walk for at least 15 minutes, and “don’t let the cold scare you off,” the state Transportation Department said on its website. It adds that celebrations can start small or include an entire school.
“After all, this is Minnesota, the land of ice fishing, hockey, cross-country skiing, fat biking, and sledding – why wouldn’t we throw a Walk (and Bike) to School Day party in the middle of the winter?” the website says, adding “Don’t hibernate, participate!”
Dallas airports struggle with delays, cancellations
More than 1,200 flights into and out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport were canceled before noon Thursday. The airport tweeted that “all traveling to DFW Airport should consider road conditions and allow extra time to travel to the airport. Please approach entry & departure plazas with extra caution.”
More than 300 flights were canceled into and out of Dallas Love Field. Officials warned travelers to allow extra time for shuttle services that were experiencing delays.
The flight struggles come almost exactly one year after a winter storm forced cancellation of more than 2,000 flights at area airports.
Memphis closes schools, struggles with ice
Memphis schools canceled classes for the second day in a row Wednesday, and the Memphis Police Department implemented its inclement weather crash policy – officers won’t respond unless the crash is serious, and drivers must file a police report within five days. Most city offices were closed, and Memphis International Airport was reporting average delays of up to 45 minutes.
“Good news!” the weather service office in Memphis tweeted. “The third and FINAL round of freezing rain and/or sleet will start this afternoon. Temps should rise above freezing tomorrow mid morning & precip will change back over to rain.”
Winter storm warning continues in parts of Texas
An ice storm warning is in effect until Thursday morning in parts of north and central Texas as mostly freezing rain and sleet are expected in the area, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned. The weather service warned that “significant” icing is expected, and accumulations could reach up to one-half inch.
Some winter storm warnings were set to lift by noon on Wednesday, the weather service said. But power outages and tree damage were still likely because of ice in the area, and officials warned that drivers should keep an extra flashlight, food and water in in their vehicles.
“The state of Texas is working around the clock to keep Texans safe and warm over the course of this severe winter weather and flooding event,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “Texans are urged to remain weather-aware and stay off the roads if possible.”
State of emergency declared in Arkansas
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated the Arkansas National Guard winter weather support teams to assist State Police. Interstate 40 was ice-coated and “extremely hazardous” in the Forrest City area on Tuesday, according to the city’s fire department. The department responded to two bad wrecks and about 15 other crashes Tuesday morning, Division Chief Jeremy Sharp said. In many of the crashes, the drivers pick up speed on the highway but run into trouble when they reach a bridge, he said.
“They hit the ice and they start wrecking,” he said.
Six die in Texas
Emergency responders have been rushing to hundreds of highway crashes across Texas since Monday. At least six people died on slick Texas roads, including a triple fatality crash Tuesday near Brownfield, about 40 miles southwest of Lubbock.
Authorities also said one person in Austin was killed in a predawn pileup Tuesday, a 45-year-old man died Monday night after his SUV slid into a highway guardrail and rolled down an embankment near Dallas, and a 49-year-old woman died after the vehicle she was driving struck a tree near Eldorado.
Two law officers in the state were seriously injured, authorities said. A Travis County sheriff’s deputy who stopped to help the driver of an 18-wheeler that went off an icy highway on Tuesday was hit by a second truck that pinned him beneath one of its tires, the sheriff’s office said. In another wreck, a Texas state trooper was hospitalized with serious injuries after being struck by a driver who lost control of their vehicle, said Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Sleet vs. freezing rain vs. hail
Austin struggles with outages, more ice coming
More than one-third of the Texas power outages were in the Austin area early Wednesday. While Austin could see temperatures reach 33 degrees for a few hours in the afternoon, forecasters warned that wind chill will remain in the mid 20s.
The Austin region could see an additional 0.1 to 0.25 inches of ice Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. There is a chance the ice could turn to rain during the afternoon moving into the evening, however, forecasters expect the freezing rain will continue again during the evening and into early Thursday morning.
Ice storm warnings stretch to Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee
An ice storm warning was also in effect until Thursday in parts of east Arkansas, north Mississippi and west Tennessee. Sleet accumulations of up to one-half inch are possible.
Officials warned that travel conditions could continue to be difficult in the coming days. Interstate 40 in parts of Arkansas was coated in ice on Tuesday.
Polar vortex heads for the Northeast
Intense arctic air will target the Northeast later this week, AccuWeather meteorologists predicted.
Temperatures in Boston are expected to drop to 10 below zero by Saturday morning.
And in parts of Maine, temperatures could drop to 28 degrees below zero this weekend.
WHAT IS THE POLAR VORTEX? In-depth look at how it can affect winter weather in the US.
WHAT IS LAKE EFFECT SNOW?Here’s how it happens and how much snow it can bring with it.
Winter storm tracker
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Contributing: Associated Press