The freezing weather gripping the United States has left more than 85,000 homes and businesses without power, particularly in Oregon where widespread outages began on Saturday. Dangerously cold temperatures, with wind chills dropping below –30F (–34.4C) in central US regions, have prompted concerns about safety and infrastructure.
The impact of the freezing conditions is widespread, leading to class cancellations in major cities like Portland, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Transportation officials are urging residents to avoid travel due to hazardous road conditions caused by slick ice, which could lead to fallen trees and power lines.
In the Portland area alone, at least four deaths have been reported, including two from suspected hypothermia. Other fatalities include a man killed when a tree fell on his house and a woman who died in a fire sparked by an open-flame stove after a tree fell onto an RV. In Wisconsin, three deaths of homeless individuals in the Milwaukee area are under investigation, with hypothermia believed to be the likely cause.
The threat of freezing rain and sleet continues into Tuesday morning across parts of the southeast, leading to winter storm warnings in multiple states, including Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The severe conditions are affecting daily life, from air travel disruptions to the postponement of NFL playoff games and even impacting Iowa's presidential caucuses.
Despite the frigid temperatures, fans still turned out to support the Buffalo Bills at a snow-covered Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, where temperatures dropped to 10F (–12.2C). Meanwhile, the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses recorded the coldest temperatures on record, with a –3F (–19.4C) reading in Des Moines.
The severe weather conditions have led to widespread flight delays and cancellations, with approximately 2,900 flight disruptions reported within, into, or out of the US, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.com. The adverse weather continues to impact various aspects of daily life, emphasizing the need for caution and preparedness in the face of extreme cold.