Winter of Death: Winter storms cause over 40 deaths across nine US states:

Since January 12, 2024, a series of winter storms and a cold air outbreak have wreaked havoc across several states in the United States, resulting in over 40 fatalities. These weather-related deaths have been reported in nine states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Tennessee has been particularly hard hit, with 14 weather-related deaths, including a tragic incident where a box truck driver lost control on a snowy highway in Knoxville.

In Pennsylvania, a snow-covered Interstate 81 was the site of a fatal minivan accident that claimed five lives, according to the coroner’s office in Lackawanna County.

On January 13 and 14, as the cold airmass moved south, sub-zero air temperatures enveloped Montana and the Dakotas. In Billings, Montana, the National Weather Service station recorded a temperature of -34 °C (-30 °F) on January 13, marking the lowest temperature at this site since its establishment in 1999.

The wind chill factor, which measures how cold it feels to human skin when wind is considered, reached extreme lows in both states, dropping to as much as -51 °C (-60 °F).

In the Pacific Northwest, Oregon experienced significant power outages, with more than 85 000 homes and businesses losing power amid freezing temperatures. As of 09:17 UTC on January 18, there were 42 000 customers still without power in Oregon and another 12 000 in California.

Travel remained treacherous due to icy roadways, downed trees, and power lines. A critical stretch of Interstate 84 was closed, and as of Wednesday evening, it remained shut down due to unsafe conditions.

New York City experienced its first significant snowfall in almost two years. On Tuesday morning, January 16, Manhattan’s Central Park was blanketed with 3.6 cm (1.4 inches) of snow, marking the end of a notable “snow drought” that lasted 701 days, during which the city had not seen more than 2.5 cm (1 inch) of snow.

10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 inches) of snow was recorded in Washington, D.C., and 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) in Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Buffalo, New York, received 30 – 91 cm (1 to 3 feet) of lake-effect snow overnight Tuesday. That’s on top of 91 cm (3 feet) that fell over the weekend.

Snowfall extended to the Appalachians and Western North Carolina, while Southern states faced unexpected cold conditions.

In Texas and Louisiana, temperatures dropped into the teens on January 15 and 16. On January 16, the airport in Houston, Texas, registered -7 °C (19 °F), setting a new all-time low for that date.

Nashville, Tennessee, a city not typically accustomed to heavy snow, received from 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) while residents of Mobile, Alabama experienced rare freezing rain and temperatures dropping to -0.5 °C (31 °F).

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