Up to 85 million people are in the path of a worsening winter storm that’s iced up much of the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic.
Snow is coming down, but when the storm goes into the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday morning, it will supercharge, CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said.
“The fuse was just lit,” Myers said. Once it gets to the Gulf Stream, “that’s when the firecracker goes off.”
Here are the latest developments as of 6:40 a.m. ET:
— A weather-related traffic backup on southbound Interstate 75 in Kentucky is about 35 miles long — between mile marker 76 and 41, state trooper Kendra Wilson told CNN on Saturday morning. People have been stuck on the highway for more than 12 hours.
— New York snowfall forecasts have increased — 16 inches “is not out of the question,” CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam said.
— Philadelphia is suspending much of its public transportation for Saturday.
— Two people died Friday night in traffic accidents linked to inclement weather in North Carolina, said spokeswoman Olivia James of the State Emergency Response Team.
— Philadelphia has issued a code blue for overnight Friday into Saturday. This means anyone who spots homeless people out in the cold should call the police, who will take them to a shelter.
By the numbers:
- 1/10th of a mile visibility in Baltimore on Saturday morning due to heavy snow.
- Eight people dead nationwide (Six fatalities were in North Carolina, one in Virginia and one in Kentucky.)
- 11 states declared states of emergency. They are: Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. Washington has declared a “snow emergency.”
- 18-40 inches of snow possible in some areas, according to meteorologists.
- 55 mph wind gusts possible in Norfolk, Virginia.
- 989 traffic crashes and 793 disabled vehicles responded to by Virginia State Police as of late Friday night.
- 9,290 flights were canceled from Friday through Sunday, according to FlightAware.com.
- 159,162 customers in 13 states are without power because of the storm, according to various energy companies. More than 150,000 of them are in the Carolinas.
- 33 million people are under blizzard warnings.
Stranded
In the unrelenting snow, Dani Garner sat stuck in her minivan for eight hours on an interstate in Kentucky. Lines of stranded cars and trucks snaked ahead and behind her. Her husband, their three children ages 2, 3 and 14, and her mother-in-law were in the car.
“We’ve got no food or water,” she told CNN. Luckily, Garner and her family had gas in their tank and could run the heater. “Honestly, if my van wasn’t heated up I’d probably be boxed in with ice right now.”
A stretch of Interstate 75 had frozen over, Kentucky State Police said. Police could not say how many people were stranded, but images on social media showed a highway resembling a long parking lot.
“It’s truck after truck after truck and cars sliding off the roadway,” said Kentucky State Police Capt. David Jude. “We’re going car to car now to get people off the road.”
Among those trapped is Caitlin Centner, a reporter for CNN affiliate WKYT.
She’s been on the highway since 5:30 p.m. Friday and had “not moved a single inch since” when she spoke to CNN early Saturday morning.
Centner said she can see more than 100 cars for about a half-mile ahead of her. People nearby are running out of gas, and many have been without food and water for a long time.
She met a family, also stuck, that was traveling from Detroit to Georgia for a funeral Saturday morning.
Washington’s 10 biggest blizzards
A snow plow driver in Fairfax, Virginia, told CNN that the storm is “starting to get worse. It’s pretty thick. This is an all new experience for us.”
“Past winters was much easier, much easier,” he said.
Forecast: What’s the outlook?
Snow. Lots and lots of snow.
From midnight until noon Saturday, the forecast shows snowfall rates could potentially reach 10 inches every six hours, according to Chris Geldart of the District of Columbia’s emergency management agency.
The snow arrived in Washington in the afternoon and quickly intensified, with 2½ feet possible by the time the last flakes fall Saturday night, the mayor said.
The storm could be the largest in Washington’s history, and will probably rank in the top 5 in terms of snowfall accumulation.
Baltimore may get 19-29 inches between Friday and Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. The agency tweeted that worst of the storm will run from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Hurricane force wind gusts will be possible Saturday along the Eastern Seaboard, with moderate flooding likely.
Also a concern: the wind, which could reach up to 50 mph or higher, sleet and black ice, which is affecting roads in North Carolina, according to the state’s department of transportation.
Get. Off. The. Roads.
We all know those folks who fly down the road, no matter the conditions. Officials don’t want them — or anyone else — on the roads this weekend.
In Washington, Mayor Muriel Bowser spared no words in a warning to residents about the oncoming storm.
“It has life and death implications, and (people) should treat it that way,” she said. “People should hunker down, shelter in place and stay off the roads.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie asked motorists not to interfere with snowplows and salt trucks. He authorized transit officials to suspend service at 2 a.m. Saturday.
“People need to understand the gravity of what is coming our way,” said Geldart of the District of Columbia’s emergency management agency. “This is a dangerous storm. It is time to be indoors.”
Why milk, bread and toilet paper when it snows?
Outages, cancellations and postponements
As the storm’s impact widens as it moves north, power outages are expected to soar.
Most airports in the Mid-Atlantic virtually were shut down. United Airlines, for instance, said operations at Dulles and D.C. metro airports were suspended, with plans to resume limited flights on Sunday night.
The ripple effect extended to Los Angeles International Airport, with 86 canceled arriving and departing flights.
Public transportation and train travel felt the storm’s effects too. Mass transit services in Washington and Baltimore have been suspended for the weekend. And some Amtrak service to and from the East Coast has either been canceled or truncated.
To top it off, the winter storm has forced postponement of hundreds of events — including NBA games in Philadelphia and Washington, plus an NHL contest in the nation’s capital, as well as a rally for the Carolina Panthers ahead of their NFC professional football championship in Charlotte.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/23/us/weather-winter-snowstorm/index.html
The people trapped on I-75 in Kentucky are in a 35 mile traffic jam this morning. I know the military can fly and a C-130 could do air drops along the traffic route. Emergency people As far as I know could get in by helicopters from the Army. No one has given any information as to the rescue situation. There was a phone report on CNN where a woman and her children have been stranded yesterday I think she said her father is Diabetic (DO NOT KNOW) about the Diabetic, but the woman said they had no food. The situation sounds grim,from the phone report as to NO HELP ON SCENE.
MARK
5 miles of cars and trucks as “Monster Storm crawls up East Coast” in the “life threatening” blizzard. I’ve seen worse backups from a single accident. Baltimore was “buried” under what looked to be about an inch this morning on the “Chicken Little” network otherwise known as CNN. “But the worst hasn’t hit us yet so keep your bungholes puckered!”
Dammit, this is normal. ” Breaking News” sheeples. It F’N snows in the winter.
18″ this morning in downtown West Virginia.
Those on the road who thought they could drive are in this are in ditches, off bridges, etc., and emergency crews rescuing them from their previous delusions.
I’m buried in Pennsylvania about the middle of the state. Heavy winds as well, basically blizzard conditions right now. This truck ain’t goin nowhere in fear of back ups and stranded vehicles blocking interstate.
Let’s see. .. In my truck I have.
Snow chains, a pick, snow shovel, regular shovel, 3/4 ton jack, kitty litter for ice, scrap plywood for traction, basic hand tools, fix a flat,
gloves.
Let’s see did I forget something. …..?
Oh yeah…
A snow blower, bong, condoms and a samurai sword.
You forgot the hydraulic plow mounted on the front of your truck. And what about the front mounted 5 ton electric winch?
You’re right I do need a ” wench”.
🙂
That’s why I have the condoms in the truck.
Just stand in front of the Clark County benifits office, and drag one out of the line. You could hole her up in that estate of yours out there in the hollows. 🙂 Put her to work in the greenhouse.
Haaaaaa
Fkg killin me.
Sorry… but the greenhouse is for vegetables.
Hi Flee,
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!
Your a total madman!
“A snow blower, bong, condoms and a samurai sword.”
I completely understand the need for the Samurai Sword,.. but the snow blower????,… you lost me on that one pal (lol)!
JD – US Marines – Flee is just plain batshit crazy!,… the good kind of crazy to be sure,… and the kind of crazy you want next to you in a shit-fight!
.
It’s about time we got a comedian in the Trench… flee is one of the best…
They forecasted 5 inches here in central PA. Well, we’re at 18 and still coming down. I guess I have to break out the Ber-Vac 6′ snow blower just to feed animals. This sucks!!
flee…if the greenhouse is for vegetables only, throw her in there and become a vagitarian!
wtf-lmao
Stop it fellas my balls are purple now from gettin them busted.
They look like two ripe purple plums.
🙂
Mark,
You were smart and fortunate to get to a truck stop.
As for most others, WHY ARE YOU OUT ON THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!
I can some what understand the Semis drivers trying to get to their destination.
When the risk of collision or injury is a near certainty, why be on the road?
Why are families on the roads in that weather? It is just stupid. Most likely they
expect that the fairy godmother called government to keep the roads not just
open but clear down to the pavement. I remember that this was the attitude of
Minnesota drivers. The State plows got most of the snow off the road and
dumped tons of salt behind them. The speed signs showed 60mph, by gally
one should be able to go 60mph in any weather! You can have the best, most
well equipped vehicle to navigate the weather, but if you can not see where you
are going, you are asking for disaster. WHY RISK IT?
I would wager most of those car drivers on the road are near home. Many
just left home on some meaningless errand. I have good vehicles, near new
studded tires, I keep the tank near full, I have warm cloths and extra food&water.
This is all to get me home! It is not to get me to a job. I did drive thousands of
miles in blizzards on the Minnesota prairie to keep the trains moving for the
railroad. I am glad the Corporation has seen safety more important than getting
the job done right away. No job is more important than your life or thousands of
dollars of damage to your vehicle.
Bull I was on the Ham Radio and was trying to help people. I am located in Houston. I emailed people to try to get people the help they needed.
Mark
This corporate sponsored weather manipulation ought to land people in jail, but those f#@*ers are above the law. Or they think they are.
The price of oil goes down and a polar vortex, or giant snowstorm happens. No great leap of imagination to connect those dots.
good point…
Hate snow.