Journalism of Courage
A dangerously frigid arctic air mass gripped a vast expanse of the United States on Thursday ahead of what could be one of the coldest Christmas Days on record, as a looming winter storm threatened to upend travel plans for millions of Americans. In pic, an American Airlines plane is seen de-iced while high winds whip around 7.5 inches of new snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. (AP)
Leading into the holiday weekend, the impending storm was expected to bring blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes region, up to 2 inches (5 cm) of rain followed by a flash freeze on the East Coast, wind gusts of 60 miles per hour (100 kph) and bitter cold as far south as the Mexican border.(AP)
As the storm took shape over the Great Lakes on Thursday, a weather phenomenon known as a bomb cyclone was likely to develop from a "rapidly deepening low-pressure" system, the National Weather Service said. (AP)
Parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Plains could see Christmas Day weather near the coldest on record, according to the NWS. (AP)
In this picture, steam rises from Cherry Creek as pedestrians deal with subzero temperatures after a winter storm swept over the intermountain West packing snow combined with Arctic cold Thursday. (AP)
Hundreds of Texans died in February 2021 after the state's power grid failed amid wintry storms, leaving millions without electricity. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which has since worked to safeguard its grid, "expects sufficient generation to meet forecasted demand at this time," spokesperson Christy Penders said. (AP)
More than 2,350 US flights had been cancelled Thursday and another 2,120 flights for Friday were scrapped, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, while passenger railroad Amtrak cancelled dozens of trains through Christmas, disrupting holiday travel for tens of thousands.(Reuters)
This photo shows a tree that fell on top of a home in Portland, Ore. on Thursday because of strong winds ahead of a winter storm. A resident of the home sustained minor injuries, the agency said in a news release. (AP)
