Extreme Weather

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? Getting rich off the storm

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

9,300+ flights across the U.S. have been canceled today and tomorrow, with 140 million people (40% of the country) under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. Misery, border to border. But some online gamblers will make a few extra bucks, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes: ❄️ Everyday Americans are increasingly studying weather models, then betting through prediction markets: On Kalshi, more than $170,000 had been wagered on how many inches of snow New York will get this weekend. 27% of traders were betting on 15+ inches. A similar market on Polymarket had nearly $80,000 in contracts, with 31% predicting 14+ inches. Keep reading.

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Massive winter storm across the US brings frigid temperatures and widespread power outages

A massive winter storm continued Sunday morning, dumping snow, sleet and freezing rain across the South and up through New England, bringing frigid temperatures, widespread power outages and treacherous road conditions. The storm was expected to continue through Monday in a large part of the country, followed by very low temperatures, causing ice and “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” to linger for several days, the National Weather Service said. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

More than 10,000 flights canceled as massive winter storm sweeps across US Stranded by winter weather? Here’s what airlines owe you People brace themselves for the winter storm moving across the US, in photos

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Massive winter storm dumps sleet, freezing rain and snow around much of US

A massive winter storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the U.S. on Sunday, bringing subzero temperatures and halting air and road traffic. Tree branches and power lines snapped under the weight of ice, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast were left without electricity.

https://apnews.com/article/winter-storm-snow-ice-power-outages-7ea143995026e68db42ed1b4aec396cb?

Storm Slams Down

Nearly 200 million people across nearly 40 states were under winter alerts this weekend, as a massive winter storm hit the continental US. More than 800,000 customers lost power, with Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas hardest hit. At least four men—two in Louisiana, one in Texas, and one in Kansas—have died. The storm has also caused more than 10,000 flight cancellations—the most in a single day since the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 1,800 flights have been canceled for today as of this writing (track here). Millions of drivers have been encouraged to stay off the road. Schools have been closed in New York, Georgia, and North Carolina, among other states. Temperatures fell 10 to 40 degrees below average in much of the central US, with wind chills as low as minus 30 degrees. Storm conditions are expected to continue in the Northeast today, with New England predicted to see up to 18 inches of snow. See live updates here.

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☃️ Snow-day scrapbook

Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Kids sled near the Capitol in D.C. during yesterday's storm that brought up to nine inches of snow around the Beltway. 213 million people were under some sort of weather warning yesterday. National snowfall totals. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images A man snowboards on stairs near the Lincoln Memorial yesterday. But 800,000+ homes and businesses are without power this morning. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP Sledders slide down the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum by the Rocky statue. U.S. flight cancellations today: 3,636. Go deeper.

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30 people dead from effects of winter storm as more freezing cold pummels US

Many in the U.S. faced another night of below-freezing temperatures and no electricity after a colossal winter storm heaped more snow Monday on the Northeast and kept parts of the South coated in ice. At least 30 deaths were reported in states afflicted with severe cold.

https://apnews.com/article/winter-weather-storm-snow-ice-cbdc1977b810322baf976c91b622516b?

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Thousands face another arctic blast without power as East Coast preps for a storm

NASHVILLE (AP) — Frustrations were bubbling up Friday for the tens of thousands who have been without power for nearly a week in the U.S. South as a new storm looms, including Tennessee’s residents in Nashville, where the utility was criticized for storm preparations and recovery.

https://apnews.com/article/freezing-temperatures-hypothermia-mississippi-tennessee-6ae30d4be75522f7c0cd3566ba664957?

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The ice just won't melt

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Many U.S. cities are still struggling with leftover ice and snow from last month's winter storm, Alex Fitzpatrick writes. At least 37 people are dead in Mississippi and Tennessee, while tens of thousands lack power, Axios' April Rubin reports. 🥶 Extreme cold has made it difficult to clear roads and sidewalks. A follow-up storm last weekend added to the mess in Charlotte and other parts of North Carolina — especially along the coast. (Watch.) 🔌 Power recovery has been patchwork, with the juice flowing in some neighborhoods while others remain in the dark. Service won't be fully restored in Nashville for another week. The first storm caused an estimated $4 billion in insured losses, per data company Verisk, making it the third-costliest winter storm on record. 🪏 In Richmond, residents are begging city officials to clear streets and sidewalks, Axios' Karri Peifer reports. 🚛 Broken plows and inadequate training slowed the response in Pittsburgh, per Axios' Ryan Deto. In Kansas City, Missouri, vague snow-removal rules mean many sidewalks remain impassable, Axios' Travis Meier reports. 📚 Schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, reopened today after a week of closures. School officials: "Conditions are improving; however, our streets and sidewalks are NOT perfect." In Washington, D.C., snow struggles offer an invaluable political lesson, Axios' Cuneyt Dil writes: "Today's mayoral hopefuls saw what happens when the city's chief executive stumbles on the most basic of municipal duties: clearing the streets." 🌡️ Daily highs are expected to climb back above freezing soon in some of the more southern cities affected, such as Nashville and Richmond. But another blast of Arctic air is in the cards for the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, prolonging the snow and ice's stay in D.C. and points north. Go deeper ...

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Yup, it's another cold snap

Data: Global Forecast System. Map: Erin Davis/Axios The Northeast is facing temperatures as low as 20 degrees below normal this weekend amid another blast of Arctic air, Alex Fitzpatrick reports. 💨 Winds of 15-25 mph with gusts to 50 mph will make it feel even colder in New York City, with dangerous wind chills as low as -20°F. 🌡️ The West largely has above-normal temps, with the relative warmth making its way eastward by midweek. Get the forecast.

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California walloped by winter storm with high winds and heavy rain and snow

California was walloped Monday by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

https://apnews.com/article/california-storm-forecast-snow-wind-rain-3624c992a6fac8d3735b61beffa509e8?

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Rescuers push through winter storm to 6 survivors of a California avalanche. 9 others are missing Crews pushed through mountainous wilderness near Lake Tahoe during a snowstorm to rescue six backcountry skiers who survived an avalanche but were trapped by its snow and ice. Nine others from their tour group remain missing. Read more.

What to know: Two of the six survivors were taken to a hospital for treatment, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Extreme conditions in the Northern California mountains slowed the rescue effort. It took crews several hours to reach the skiers and take them to safety. Rescuers made their way cautiously toward the scene of the avalanche because of the danger of more avalanches.   California is being walloped this week by a powerful winter storm bringing treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas. The dangerous conditions were caused by rapidly accumulating snowfall piling on fragile snowpack layers coupled with gale-force winds.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Rescuers battle blizzard conditions

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8 backcountry skiers found dead and 1 still missing after California avalanche

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Crews found the bodies of eight backcountry skiers near California’s Lake Tahoe and were searching for one more after they were caught in an avalanche, the nation’s deadliest in nearly half a century, authorities said Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/california-avalanche-backcountry-skiers-rescue-missing-f7b4a89c38af634e39a152a874db17f0?

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🥶 Bracing for nor'easter

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks yesterday at the Spring Street Salt Shed in Manhattan. Photo: Lev Radin/ZUMA Press Wire 🥀 Fake spring was fun while it lasted! A rapidly strengthening winter storm is barreling up the East Coast, prompting blizzard warnings for New York City and Long Island, New Jersey, Boston and coastal communities in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. ❄️ "It's been several years since we saw [a nor'easter] of this magnitude, across this large of a region, in this very populated part of the country," Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, tells AP. Get the latest.

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Blizzard warnings cascade across East Coast as winter storm hits

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City and New Jersey announced travel bans, airlines canceled thousands of flights and even Broadway shows were canceled Sunday evening as a fierce winter storm bore down on the Northeastern U.S., prompting blizzard warnings from Maryland to Massachusetts.

https://apnews.com/article/us-east-coast-blizzard-warning-fc4b3a4c86542ae691d1e87cda8e6fce?

Blizzard Slams Northeast

More than 63 million Americans are under winter storm alerts, including 26 million under blizzard warnings, as a nor’easter struck the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast overnight. Cities including Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City are expecting between 9 and 20 inches of snow.  The storm formed off the coast of North Carolina and moved northward causing a rapid drop in air pressure known as a bomb cyclone. Its shape has been likened to a swirling “comma” as bands of snow move northwestward. More than 1 inch of snow per hour is expected in some parts of the Northeast today before snowfall ends in the evening. The storm is expected to be especially severe in New York City, which is under a state of emergency. It marks the city’s first official blizzard since 2016.  More than 3,300 flights have been canceled as of this writing. See live updates here.

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New York City hunkers down under blizzard warnings and a travel ban as winter storm hits Northeast Millions of people in New York City and a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings Monday as a fierce winter storm barreled into the densely populated region with heavy snowfall and high winds. Read more.

Why this matters: Emergencies were declared in New York, Philadelphia and other cities, as well as several states stretching from Delaware to Massachusetts as officials mobilized readiness efforts.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Mamdani announces travel ban and New York City’s first school snow day since 2019   How extreme cold is affecting Americans’ lives, according to a new AP-NORC poll

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Highlights: New York City remains under a state of emergency during massive snowstorm

The nor’easter smacking much of the Northeast with nearly 3 feet of snow in places is as classic and powerful a blizzard as you can get, the strongest in a decade and up there with the most intense in history, meteorologists said.

https://apnews.com/live/winter-snow-storm-new-york?

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🪏 Strongest NE storm in a decade

Data: National Weather Service. Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals The nor'easter that smacked much of the Northeast with nearly 3 feet of snow in places is as classic and powerful a blizzard as you can get — the strongest in a decade, and up there with the most intense in history. A snowman near the U.S. Capitol yesterday. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images The storm easily qualified as a "bomb cyclone" — and featured thundersnow and lightning, which are rarely seen in snowstorms. Keep reading.

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Severe weather

Severe storms could affect nearly 60 million people from Texas to the Great Lakes today, forecasts show. Meteorologists warn that some storms, including supercells, may develop through the day, with the most intense activity likely in the evening and overnight. The highest tornado risk stretches from Madison, Wisconsin, to Dallas. On Thursday, powerful storms swept across the southern Plains, bringing numerous tornado threats from Texas to the Midwest. Louisiana was also rattled by a magnitude 4.9 earthquake — one of the strongest recorded in the state — though no damage or injuries were immediately reported.

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US forecasts blizzard, polar vortex, heat dome and atmospheric river all at once

Nearly every part of the United States is getting walloped by wild weather or just about to be.

https://apnews.com/article/heat-dome-snow-blizzard-cold-polar-flooding-55e3baf6877e81ee1961aade3cb361c3?

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Winds, blizzards and triple-digit heat put over half of the US in the path of extreme weather

WASHINGTON (AP) — From a surprising heatwave in California to blizzards burying parts of the Midwest and storms rolling into the East Coast, chaotic weather on Monday put more than half the nation’s population in the path of extreme conditions.

https://apnews.com/article/severe-weather-storm-snow-east-coast-a8bbd037aba99aaf0cc930e91fdb72ca?

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Record-busting western winter

Data: NOAA. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios Hundreds of western U.S. counties just had their warmest winters on record, Alex Fitzpatrick writes from new federal data. It's been a brutally warm winter for much of the West and Southwest. Implications range from bad ski and snowboard seasons to concerns about water supplies and wildfires. 🌡️ By the numbers: More than 420 counties had their warmest December–February periods on record, based on average temperatures. That's according to NOAA weather data covering the last 131 years. 🅗 The unusually warm temperatures were driven by a ridge of high pressure dominating the western half of the country, "allowing for consistent warmer weather to prevail as well as causing the jet stream to steer storms further north, limiting snowfall for the mountains," per The Weather Channel. The eastern U.S. saw prolonged periods of extreme cold this winter thanks to a blast of Arctic air that refused to budge. ❄️ Nevertheless, it wasn't a record cold winter on that side of the country. Climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on Weather West: "Record cold has become a truly rare condition, whereas record warmth is now occurring with remarkable and disconcerting frequency." 🥵 More records will likely be set this week as an unusual March heat dome blankets the western U.S., with highs of 20–30 degrees above normal. Climate research group Climate Central says: "Human-caused climate change is making this heat more likely and will also accelerate snowmelt, during a year already marked by widespread snow drought across the region." Go deeper.

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Heat wave

A potentially historic heat wave is set to grip much of the western US in the coming days, with some areas at risk of breaking all-time April temperature records before the month even begins. Fueled by human-caused climate change, the surge will bring summerlike heat in March from California to Texas and as far north as Montana. Extreme heat warnings and alerts are already in place for millions from San Francisco to Phoenix. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, a powerful storm has moved out, but hundreds of thousands of customers remain without power across the Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic — a dangerous situation as frigid air moves in behind it.

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Hawaii’s worst flooding in 20 years threatens dam, prompts evacuations, as more rain looms

Hawaii officials urged people in hard-hit areas to evacuate due to the state’s worst flooding in more than 20 years, after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago with still more expected. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. On the island of Maui, authorities upgraded an evacuation advisory to a warning for some parts of Lahaina, which is still reeling from a deadly 2023 wildfire, because of retention basins nearing capacity. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Extreme heat continues to strike Southwest US and even Nebraska needs a cold drink

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Record-smashing heat spreads: ‘Basically the entire US is going to be hot’

After smashing March heat records in 14 states and the U.S. as a whole, the gigantic heat dome that’s baked the Southwest is creeping eastward and may end up being one of the most expansive heat waves in American history, meteorologists and weather historians said.

https://apnews.com/article/record-heat-climate-warming-arizona-california-11dcebf8ba88cfcd3fd9bc1144a5df10?

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Hawaii flood threat

A potent, multi-day storm is reaching its peak as it lashes Hawaii with heavy rain, renewing a major flood threat for a state that's still recovering from devastating floods in March. Showers have been impacting the entire state over the past couple of days, but the most widespread heavy rain is still to come. The threat of flooding rain was expected to increase across Kauai and Oahu on Thursday, then spread east across the rest of the island chain Thursday night into today — including Maui and the Big Island. It's the third major storm to hit Hawaii since mid-March.

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Severe storms

Tornado warnings were issued for millions across the central US overnight, as another round of severe storms is expected to impact multiple states today. Tornadoes and golf ball-sized hail already lashed parts of Wisconsin and Iowa on Tuesday, causing widespread power outages. Storms are expected today from Dallas to Chicago, with more large hail and damaging winds being the main threats. Read more

WATCH: Golf ball-sized hail pelts Midwest