Extreme Weather
Heavy snowfall or rainfall occurred on the leading edge of the weather pattern and this led to cancellation of at least 3600 flights on January 6 and several thousands were cancelled over the preceding weekend. Further delays were caused by the weather at airports that did not possess de-icing equipment. At O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, the jet fuel and deicing fluids froze (Matt Miller, American Airlines spokesperson).
Strong winds which prevailed throughout the freeze made the temperature even colder. The cold wave led to over a dozen deaths. South Dakota’s Keloland.com carried a report about how farmers tried to keep their cattle warm as the cold weather could have devastating impacts on herds. For the first time in seventeen years, authorities in Minnesota ordered school closures due to the weather. In New York, parts of major highways were closed due to the extreme weather.
In Indiana a state of emergency was declared in several north-west counties, allowing only emergency or law enforcement vehicles on the roads. The Weather Channel reported power outages in several states, abandoned cars on highways in North Carolina and freezing rain in Louisiana. The weather affected schools, roads and public offices.
Strong winds which prevailed throughout the freeze made the temperature even colder. The cold wave led to over a dozen deaths. South Dakota’s Keloland.com carried a report about how farmers tried to keep their cattle warm as the cold weather could have devastating impacts on herds. For the first time in seventeen years, authorities in Minnesota ordered school closures due to the weather. In New York, parts of major highways were closed due to the extreme weather.
In Indiana a state of emergency was declared in several north-west counties, allowing only emergency or law enforcement vehicles on the roads. The Weather Channel reported power outages in several states, abandoned cars on highways in North Carolina and freezing rain in Louisiana. The weather affected schools, roads and public offices.
A photo released Wednesday Jan. 29, 2014, by the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities and made on Jan. 25, 2014, shows road crews beginning the job of clearing the closed Richardson Highway, near Valdez, Alaska.
CREDIT: AP PHOTO/ALASKA DOT&PF
CREDIT: AP PHOTO/ALASKA DOT&PF