A major winter blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures in the U.S. stirred dangerous travel conditions from central and southern states all the way to the East Coast early Monday, prompting schools and government offices in several states to close.
Over the weekend, at least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri, authorities said. Hundreds of car accidents were reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky.
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Snow falls at the Capitol ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow falls during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear the plaza at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A person clears off a car during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The White House is pictured during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Flags fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter during a winter snow storm at Union Station in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Carter died at age 100. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Horses in a field dig through the ice and snow for grass during a winter storm in Louisville, Ky., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
A person walks his dog in view of the Capitol during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People engage in a snowball fight during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A walker pauses to take a photo as she walks along the snow-covered Monon Trail in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Traffic makes it way on snow-covered U.S. 31 in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Dave Thomasson uses an electric snowblower to clear his driveway in the Webster Oaks subdivision of Webster Groves, Mo. as residents started clearing a path on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
A snowplow clears the area as snow blankets Capitol Hill ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Heavy snow falls as a person walks along U.S. Route 42 in Florence, Ky., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Capitol is seen through a security fence as snow blankets Capitol Hill ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jagmeet Singh, a manager at Clifton Market, shovels the sidewalk in front of the store during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Tony Savage, who works for the city of Annapolis, clears snow along the City Dock in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
A person holds an umbrella as they walk during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A pedestrian makes their way though a tunnel along the snow-covered Monon Trail in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Capitol is pictured as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People engage in a snowball fight as U.S. flags, along the base of the Washington Monument, fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
National Park Service workers shovel a pathway during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow falls during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
National Park Service workers shovel a pathway during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Snow falls at the Capitol ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A car slowly navigates a snow-covered interstate Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A person who declined to be identified jogs down a snow-covered street Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Enrique Davila crosses the street with his dog, Chula, as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Workers clear the plaza at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow covers homes during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A person crosses a street as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Ice encases tree branches in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ice and snow cover a sidewalk in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Winter weather often causes flight delays and cancellations. While airlines can’t control the weather, they are required in the U.S. to provide refunds to customers whose flights are canceled.
Here's the latest:
A weather-related power outage has caused a malfunction in the water system of Virginia’s capital city, officials said Monday afternoon.
Richmond officials asked citizens in the city of more than 200,000 people to refrain from drinking tap water or washing dishes and brushing their teeth without boiling the water first. The city also asked residents to conserve their water.
City officials said they’re working around the clock to bring the system back online.
“Our top priority is the health and safety of our residents and neighbors,” Mayor Danny Avula said in a news release.
The Kansas Highway Patrol has reported nearly 200 crashes from Saturday morning through Monday morning, two of them deadly.
On Saturday, a tractor-trailer jackknifed in the ice in the western part of the state, killing a pickup truck’s driver. And two others died Sunday when an SUV rolled down an embankment in Wichita.
Gov. Laura Kelly closed state offices in the Topeka area through Tuesday, and many school districts followed suit.
“Although crews are making progress, the roads remain hazardous,” Kelly said in a news release.
A fatal accident in North Carolina is being blamed on the winter storm that’s moving through the East Coast.
Police in Winston-Salem say a vehicle lost control on an icy overpass along U.S. Route 52 and hit several trees early Monday. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
At least two other people have died in weather-related traffic accidents in Virginia and West Virginia. The accidents were among hundreds reported across Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.
In Virginia, a 32-year-old man died Sunday night in Wakefield, south of Richmond, after his truck ran off a road and struck a tree. Police said, among other contributing factors, the man was driving too fast for the wintry conditions on the roadway.
In West Virginia, a driver lost control of her vehicle and it struck a concrete median Sunday on Interstate 77 south of Charleston. A tractor-trailer then struck the woman and another vehicle that stopped to help. The driver, Alexis Vega, 25, of Cleveland, Ohio, later died at a hospital. State police Lt. L.T. Goldie Jr. said the weather was a factor in the accident.
The Kansas Department of Transportation says it has reopened the final stretch of Interstate 70 that was closed because of blizzard conditions.
The department said other highways in the state also are reopening, but it urged drivers to go slow and be careful because some stretches remain icy and snow packed.
As the eastern U.S. shivers under a polar vortex, some on the West Coast face a very different weather threat: dry conditions conducive for wildfires.
Winds will whip up and humidity levels will drop in Southern California this week, raising the risk for fires in parched areas still recovering from a recent destructive blaze, forecasters warned Monday.
“Scattered downed trees and power outages are likely, in addition to rapid fire growth and extreme behavior with any fire starts,” the weather service office for Los Angeles said on the social platform X.
Recent dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, where there’s been very little rain so far this season.
▶ Read more about weather in California
In a move reminiscent of secret presidential trips to war zones, President Joe Biden’s trip to New Orleans and Los Angeles on Monday began inside a hangar, rather than on the tarmac as is customary, due to the inclement weather.
Air Force One was sheltered from the snow inside a secure hangar at the airbase outside of Washington, as Biden departed during an early afternoon lull in the snowfall.
In another change from normal procedures, reporters were not permitted to take photos or video of Biden boarding the plane due to Air Force security policies inside the hangar.
By midday Monday, state troopers in Maryland had responded to at least 475 calls for service, including 123 reported crashes and 156 unattended vehicles since 1 a.m., Maryland State Police said in a social media post.
A Team USA athlete who competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics got to cross-country ski on the National Mall during a rare snowstorm Monday.
Two-time Olympian Clare Egan recently moved to Washington D.C. in 2024 and thought “my skiing days were maybe behind me.”
That was until Washington D.C. was hit with more than 5 inches of heavy, wet snow.
Egan and a friend then strapped on their skies.
“This is awesome. Best snow day ever,” Egan told the AP.
Egan competed in the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting.
In eastern Kentucky, ice-coated trees downed power lines and blocked roads. During the outage peak, about half of the electric customers in Magoffin County were without power, said Matt Wireman, the county judge-executive.
By midday Monday, about 20% of customers still lacked power, he said.
“Our (power) lines are hanging with icicles inches long,” Wireman said.
Road crews in the Appalachian county faced a backlog of rural roads that needed to be cleared of downed trees.
Warming centers were set up for people lacking power at home, though residents typically take refuge with relatives or neighbors.
The race was on to clear roads and restore power ahead of bitter cold temperatures expected later in the week.
The winter storm brought chilly misery for airline passengers across the United States on Monday with thousands of flights canceled or delayed, especially around the nation’s capital.
According to tracking platform FlightAware.com, more than 800 flights were canceled or delayed in and out of Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., which saw several inches of snow with more in the forecast as President-elect Donald Trump’s victory was set to be certified.
More than 300 flights were impacted at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
So far, Chicago O’Hare International had 730 flights called off or postponed.
A Kentucky truck stop was jammed with big rigs forced off an icy and snow-covered Interstate 75 on Monday just outside Cincinnati.
“It was too dangerous. I didn’t want to kill myself or anyone else,” said Michael Taylor, a long-haul driver from Los Angeles who was carrying a load of rugs to Macon, Georgia.
He saw numerous cars and trucks stuck in ditches and stopped beneath an overpass to clear ice from his windshield wipers before finally pulling off the interstate. “It was crazy. I know when it’s time to get off the roads,” he said.
By mid-Monday morning, there were 259 crashes and 271 reports of vehicles sliding off roadways statewide in Indiana, according to a post by the Indiana State Police on the social media site X.
The State Police Indianapolis District reported 151 crashes, including 12 with injuries. Troopers also assisted on more than 100 vehicles that were disabled or stuck in the snow.
In Virginia, state police said they responded to 248 crashes in the span of seven hours Monday, although police noted that not all of the accidents may be related to the storm.
Winter weather often causes flight delays and cancellations. While airlines can’t control the weather, they are required in the U.S. to provide refunds to customers whose flights are canceled.
If you no longer want to take the trip, or found another way of getting to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money, even if you bought a nonrefundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.
When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to postpone their trips by a few days without having to pay a fee.
It’s better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading to the airport. Airlines usually cancel flights hours or even days before departure time.
The snowy weather in Washington forced a slight change in the travel plans for President Joe Biden.
Biden is heading to New Orleans on Monday to help console victims of the New Year’s Day truck attack.
Biden will drive to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to board Air Force One for the flight. He typically flies directly to the base aboard the Marine One helicopter.
In Texas, the state’s independent grid operator issued a weather warning Monday for residents to be aware of cold temperatures.
Forecasts show major cities like Houston hitting below 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 1 degree Celsius) throughout the week. Grid conditions are expected to remain normal despite the higher demand for electricity and experts don’t foresee any major problems to occur.
President Joe Biden and his team are closely monitoring the severe winter weather across much of the U.S., the White House said in a statement Monday.
White House spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said Biden has directed senior White House Officials to be in close touch with their state and local counterparts in the affected areas. Support will be offered as needed.
“We want to encourage all Americans affected by this weather to take it seriously, continue to monitor forecasts, and heed the warnings of local officials," Edwards said.
A Kentucky State Police trooper is recovering at home after his police cruiser was rear-ended by another vehicle while he responded to a collision on Interstate 65 in southcentral Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.
Beshear also urged residents to stay off the roads Monday as highway crews continued to clear roadways.
“This is a significant snow and ice event, so the roadways are still dangerous,” the governor said. “You might be able to see the pavement but that doesn’t mean that it’s not slick. A half an inch of ice is very hard to treat, especially when it coats everything.”
Kentucky State Police dispatchers reported more than 170 vehicle accidents and over 280 stranded motorists who were helped, he said.
The thoroughbreds residing at storied Calumet Farm in central Kentucky were riding out the winter storm in the safety of their stalls. The horses were led back to the barns Sunday afternoon before freezing rain turned pastures into a slick glaze of snow and ice.
“The ice is the worst part,” Eddie Kane, the farm manager at Calumet, said Monday. “I still haven’t turned them out because it’s still a little bit too dangerous. It’s like an ice-skating rink out there in the fields.”
The horses do fine in the snow, he said, but the ice created too much risk to keep them outside.
“Horses would rather be outside than in a stall,” Kane said. “But I just do it for my own peace of mind.”
Grain rations are bumped up for the horses amid the cold and they eat as much hay as they want, Kane said.
Marion County Public Health Department offices in Indianapolis were closed Monday due to poor weather. All clinics and walk-in services operated by the health department also are closed. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning Monday for the Indianapolis area, with snow possible, a high temperature near 28 degrees Fahrenheit and wind gusts as high as 32 mph.
An essential travel watch due to snow was declared Sunday night for Wayne County, Richmond and Centerville, all in eastern Indiana. Only essential travel, like driving to and from work or school, essential medical care, and for supplies or shelter, will be permitted on county roads under the declaration, according to the county. Parking on all county roads and their right-of-way is prohibited.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Sunday activated the state’s National Guard to assist state and local responders with support during the winter storm.
In Virginia, state police said in a news release they responded to more than 200 crashes between 4 p.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday, although not all were storm related.
Several accidents included injuries, while one was fatal. A 32-year-old man died around midnight in Wakefield, which is south of Richmond, after his truck ran off the road and struck a tree. Police said he was driving too fast for roadway conditions and wasn’t wearing a seat belt, while alcohol appears to be a factor.
A record 8 inches of snow fell Sunday at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, leading to dozens of flight cancellations that lingered into Monday.
A few more inches of snow was expected Monday across the Cincinnati area, where car and truck crashes Monday morning shutdown at least two major routes leading into downtown.
School closings are expected to be widespread Monday. Districts in Indiana, Virginia and Kentucky began announcing cancellations and delays on Sunday afternoon. Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics for its nearly 100,000 students.
Classes also have been cancelled in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Sunday and announced the state government would be closed Monday.
“Keeping Marylanders safe is our top priority. Please stay off the roads during this storm. Prepare your home and family and charge your communications devices in case you lose power,” Moore said in a statement.
Snow falls at the Capitol ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow falls during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear the plaza at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A person clears off a car during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The White House is pictured during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Flags fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter during a winter snow storm at Union Station in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Carter died at age 100. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Horses in a field dig through the ice and snow for grass during a winter storm in Louisville, Ky., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
A person walks his dog in view of the Capitol during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People engage in a snowball fight during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A walker pauses to take a photo as she walks along the snow-covered Monon Trail in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Traffic makes it way on snow-covered U.S. 31 in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Dave Thomasson uses an electric snowblower to clear his driveway in the Webster Oaks subdivision of Webster Groves, Mo. as residents started clearing a path on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
A snowplow clears the area as snow blankets Capitol Hill ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Heavy snow falls as a person walks along U.S. Route 42 in Florence, Ky., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Capitol is seen through a security fence as snow blankets Capitol Hill ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jagmeet Singh, a manager at Clifton Market, shovels the sidewalk in front of the store during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Tony Savage, who works for the city of Annapolis, clears snow along the City Dock in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
A person holds an umbrella as they walk during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A pedestrian makes their way though a tunnel along the snow-covered Monon Trail in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Capitol is pictured as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People engage in a snowball fight as U.S. flags, along the base of the Washington Monument, fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
National Park Service workers shovel a pathway during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow falls during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
National Park Service workers shovel a pathway during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Snow falls at the Capitol ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A car slowly navigates a snow-covered interstate Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A person who declined to be identified jogs down a snow-covered street Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Enrique Davila crosses the street with his dog, Chula, as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Workers clear the plaza at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow covers homes during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A person crosses a street as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Ice encases tree branches in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ice and snow cover a sidewalk in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
