London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

US braces for 'record-breaking' winter storm

US braces for 'record-breaking' winter storm

Officials warned of "life-threatening" conditions as temperatures were expected to drop as low as -70 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. Nearly 2,000 flights planned for the Christmas weekend were canceled.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) on Thursday warned of "dangerous cold" for much of the country as the Christmas weekend was expected to be the coldest in decades. 

Temperatures plunged dramatically in just a few hours on Thursday. Around 190 million of the country's 335 million population were under some type of weather advisory as a winter storm was forecast. 


'Life-threatening' conditions 

The NSW forecast that "record-breaking cold and life-threatening wind chills over the Great Plains [would] overspread the eastern half of the Nation by Friday."

The weather agency warned that temperatures would drop between -40 to -70 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to -56 degrees Celsius), with strong gusts and heavy snow expected to cause damage to infrastructure and disrupt travel. 

"Wind chills of this magnitude can cause frostbite in less than five minutes if precautions are not taken, with hypothermia and death also possible from prolonged exposure to the cold," it said.

Authorities have raised concerns that power could be cut due to the storm and asked people to postpone travel. More than 112 million people are estimated to travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more during the holiday season. 


Travel chaos 

The winter storm is expected to affect airports in the Midwest, Northeast and East Coast. 

Amid the busy holiday travel season, nearly 2,000 flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday were canceled as the Arctic blast surged. 

According to tracking website FlightAware, some 1,239 flights within, into or out of the US were canceled as of 8 a.m. ET (1300 UTC) on Thursday. Another 699 flights for Friday were also scrapped.  

This year's holidays travel chaos comes after the same period in 2021 was marred by COVID outbreaks among airlines' staff that forced thousands of flight cancellations.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×