Photo: SETH HERALD/AFP/Getty Images
after a winter storm with frost and low temperatures to wreak havoc on Tuesday in parts of the southern and central United States, more than 30 million people from New Mexico to West Virginia remain under some form of winter weather advisory until Wednesday.
Winter weather brought frost to a wide swath of the United States on Tuesday, canceling more than 1,700 flights across the country and blocking the roads.
Here are the latest Key Messages for the significant ice storm affecting portions of the Southern Plains & Mid-South this afternoon & through Wednesday night. Impacts include treacherous travel conditions, possible tree damage, & power outages. pic.twitter.com/KTK8O8ZAQR
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 31, 2023
Cities under icy winter storm warnings for Wednesday include Memphis, Tennessee, and Little Rock, Arkansas, while a host of Texas cities — Dallas, San Antonio, San Angelo, and Waco — are under winter storm warnings.
Two people died in weather-related incidents in Texaswhere Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to stay home and said some 1,600 highways and thoroughfares in the state will remain dangerous for the next 24 to 48 hours.
As of Tuesday night, FlightAware reports that 1,042 flights have been canceled for Wednesday.
Large ice storm continues in the southern US.
A solid core of cold air with temperatures well below normal continues to interact with increased moisture in an extensive swath of ice with some sleet from the southern Plains to the Tennessee Valley, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
This winter storm will continue through Wednesday with the possibility of additional and significant ice accumulation, especially in parts of Texas. In the meantime, heavy to excessive rain also coming for Wednesday in parts of the Deep South and Southeast through midweek.
Here’s a look at the Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI) for #ice accumulation, as the ongoing major ice storm continues on Wednesday and possibly lingers for some locations into Thursday. Widespread moderate and local major impacts are likely in Dallas, Little Rock and Memphis. pic.twitter.com/wAjPNcI6Ck — National Weather Service (@NWS) January 31, 2023
Much of central and eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, and northwestern Mississippi also remain under ice storm warnings. Total, nearly 8 million people are listed under ice storm warnings.
Generally, more than 30 million people are under some type of winter weather alertl from New Mexico to Virginia.
NWS expects this storm, which will leave temperatures “10 to 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) below average,” to last until Thursday, when it is expected a new arctic cold through North Dakota and the upper Midwest.