At least five people have died as a powerful winter storm grips a large portion of the US, bringing widespread school closures, travel disruptions, and power outages.
Seven states — Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas — have declared states of emergency.
The extreme weather, driven by a polar vortex typically confined to the North Pole, has resulted in over 2,300 flight cancellations and nearly 9,000 delays.
More than 200,000 people were left without power on Monday night across states affected by the storm, according to PowerOutage.us. The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts continued snow and sleet across much of the northeastern US on Tuesday.
The winter storm forced the closure of federal offices and local schools throughout the Washington, DC, area.Cold Arctic air is expected to linger across much of the country, keeping conditions icy for several more weeks even after the precipitation subsides.
In Washington, DC — where lawmakers convened on Monday to certify Donald Trump’s November election victory — snowfall ranged from 5-9 inches (13-23 cm), with some areas in nearby Maryland and Virginia reporting accumulations of up to a foot.
The major winter storm has brought heavy snow and widespread travel disruptions. Despite the challenges, hundreds of local residents gathered near the Washington Monument for a snowball fight, a 15-year-old tradition.
“Just having fun,” one man told the BBC. “I’ve never done a snowball fight before.”
Former US Olympic skier Clare Egan was spotted cross-country skiing on the National Mall, embracing the winter conditions. Speaking to the Associated Press, she said, “I thought my skiing days were behind me” after moving to the city.
Washington, DC, remains under a weather emergency until early Tuesday due to Winter Storm Blair, as named by the Weather Channel. The storm also gave children an unexpected snow day, with school closures stretching from Maryland to Kansas, disrupting plans for students returning after the winter holiday break.
The winter storm created hazardous road conditions across various parts of the US.
In Missouri, the state highway patrol reported at least 365 crashes on Sunday, resulting in dozens of injuries and at least one fatality.
Kansas, one of the hardest-hit states, saw two people lose their lives in a car crash during the storm, according to local reports.
In Houston, Texas, authorities found a person dead from exposure to the cold near a bus stop on Monday morning.
Virginia also experienced treacherous conditions, with 300 car crashes reported between midnight and Monday morning. Officials urged residents to avoid driving in affected areas, as at least one motorist was confirmed dead, according to local media.
Matthew Cappucci, senior meteorologist at the weather app MyRadar, told the BBC that Kansas City experienced its heaviest snowfall in 32 years. Frigid temperatures turned some areas near the Ohio River into "skating rinks," he said.
"The plows are getting stuck, the police are getting stuck, everybody’s getting stuck—stay home," Cappucci warned.
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