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By MELISSA KOENIG, US REPORTER and EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and SOPHIE GABLE, US REPORTER
Updated:
Wild weather across the United States continued Sunday night, with so-called ‘steamnadoes’ reported in Texas and blizzard conditions affecting millions.
At least 24 inches of snow is set to blanket the Northeast into Monday morning, before a deep freeze and icy conditions take over in the southern region, the National Weather Service Prediction Center said.
They now warn that ‘catastrophic ice’ is still on its way and further power outages may be forthcoming.
‘The worst conditions are expected between 12PM today and 12AM Monday,’ the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services said.
The storm has already brought swirling vortexes over Texas lakes that look like tornadoes and blizzard conditions in Massachusetts, where residents experienced more than three hours of 35+ mph winds and visibility less than a quarter of a mile.
At least 15 people have died from the powerful tundra across the US.
As officials now prepare for the worst, schools across the country, as well as government offices, have announced closures for Monday.
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‘Steamnadoes’ have been recorded in Texas.
They form when cold air moves over warm lake waters, the National Weather Service announced.
Storm to only get worse tonight into Monday, meteorologists warn
Sunday brought heavy snow and ice, but Monday is set to be far worse, according to the National Weather Service.
One to two feet of snow will continue to fall in the parts of the Northeast and ‘catastrophic ice’ will take over farther south, the agency said.
The predicted ice storm could cause further power outages as more than one million Americans are already in the dark.
Meanwhile, the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, said the worst is yet to come.
‘The worst conditions are expected between 12PM today and 12AM Monday,’ the agency said.
Family of four displaced after tree crashes into home
A family of four was displaced after a tree crashed into a home in Tennessee.
Knoxville police reported that the incident occurred at around 3.30pm on Sunday
Snow piles up on moving train
Video shared online shows snow piling up on a moving train.
Flakes could be seen crashing down between vestibules on the moving Long Island Rail Road train Sunday night.
DoorDash deliveries suspended
DoorDash deliveries have been suspended in New York City until 10am Monday amid the snow storm due to the ‘hazardous conditions, including snow and ice brought by this unprecedented winter storm,’ Jenn Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for the company, told The New York Times.
Texas urged to use backup generation
The Department of Energy ordered the manager of Texas’ power grid to begin using backup generation resources at data centers and other facilities that consume large amounts of energy to help prevent blackouts.
The agency said the order would aid the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, in maintaining grid operations through the ‘extreme temperatures and storm destruction’ left by the powerful winter storm.
Retired NYPD officer dies while shoveling
A retired New York City cop has died while shoveling out a Long Island church, officials announced Sunday night.
The cause of death for the man, identified as Robert McGovern, was not immediately clear.
Texas teenager dies in sledding accident
The death toll from the winter storm has climbed to 15, as police in Texas report that one teenager died in a sledding accident and another is in critical condition.
Officers in Frisco said they responded to a scene just before 2.30pm and found two 16 year old girls with life-threatening injuries.
Investigators then discovered that a 16 year old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler, pulling the two girls on a sled.
Witnesses said the sled hit a curb and collided with a tree, according to CBS News.
The two teenagers were then rushed to a local hospital, where one died.
An investigation is ongoing.
Delta resuming flights
Delta Air Lines announced Sunday night that it is resuming flights ‘where it’s safe to do so.’
However, the airline warned that low temperatures in Atlanta – where it’s based – and continuing storms across the Northeast may still affect flights on Monday.
Temperatures continue to plunge
Around 136 million Americans from the Southern Plains to the Northeast will remain under cold weather alerts overnight, as temperatures stay 10 to 40 degrees below average, NBC News reports.
Cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas, as well as New Orleans, Louisiana, Little Rock, Arkansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma may hit record-low temperatures overnight.
Meanwhile, a tornado watch is in effect for parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Massachusetts woman dead after being struck by snowplow
A Massachusetts woman has died after she and her husband were struck by a snowplow truck in Massachusetts.
The unidentified woman, 51, and her husband, 47, were walking through the parking lot of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Commuter Rail Norwood Central Station around 2pm on Sunday when they were struck by a Ford F350 plow truck that was backing up, the MBTA Transit Police Department said.
The woman died of her injuries, while her husband was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Authorities say the truck was being driven by a non-MBTA employee contracted by a private company for snow removal.
The plow operator, 33, was cooperative with detectives, they said.
The incident is now under investigation.
‘This is an unimaginable horrific incident,’ police said in a statement.
‘On behalf of the Transit Police and the entire MBTA organization we express our most sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends. Our thought and prayers are with them.’
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