Sun Jan 05 03:25:14 UTC 2025: ## Major Winter Storm Cripples Central and Eastern US, Millions Face Blizzard Conditions
**Washington, D.C.** – A powerful winter storm is unleashing blizzard conditions, treacherous ice, and frigid temperatures across a vast swathe of the United States, impacting over 60 million people from the central plains to the Mid-Atlantic. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings stretching 1,500 miles, from western Kansas to the coastal states of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
The storm, the first major one of 2025, is expected to plunge the eastern US into a deep freeze through Monday. Some areas, particularly from northeastern Kansas to north-central Missouri, are forecast to experience their heaviest snowfall in a decade. The NWS warns of ferocious weather, severe travel delays, and widespread heavy snow and damaging ice accumulations.
Already, the storm has caused significant travel disruptions. Kansas City International Airport closed its operations Saturday due to rapid ice accumulation. Heavy lake-effect snow is blanketing parts of New York and Pennsylvania, with potential accumulations exceeding four feet in some areas. A blizzard is raging across the Central Plains, creating whiteout conditions and rendering roads impassable.
Washington, D.C. is bracing for five or more inches of snow, with potentially up to 10 inches in surrounding areas. Temperatures are expected to plummet well below zero Fahrenheit in some locations, with strong wind gusts exacerbating the dangers. Freezing rain and sleet are also a major concern, threatening widespread power outages and tree damage from Kansas to the central Appalachian Mountains.
The storm is hitting particularly vulnerable areas still recovering from a devastating hurricane in late September. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warned of significant disruption and dangerous road conditions, particularly concerning the potential for widespread power outages just before a significant cold snap. Governors in Missouri and Virginia have declared states of emergency, urging residents to prepare for hazardous weather. Scientists link the severity of such extreme weather events to man-made climate change.
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