Texas grinds to halt as historic winter storm brings snow and ice, with major cities closing ALL schools on Monday… as extreme conditions begin to grip Midwest – LIVE
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Texas has grinded to a halt as Winter Storm Fern ravages the South and Midwest, with Americans in the Northeast bracing for record-breaking temperatures.
The historic weather event will see 230 million people living in a 2,000 mile swathe of the United States endure thick ice, inches of snow and frigid weather.
A thin layer of snow and ice has already covered parts of Dallas, as the city is currently under Winter Storm and Extreme Cold Warnings.
Public school districts in Dallas and Fort Worth have already announced closures on Monday, while churches and places of worship prepare to close their doors on Sunday.
The state is experiencing power outages, with around 50,000 homes out of power as temperatures hit lows of 20F, according to PowerOutage.us.
Snow and rain have already begun in parts of the Ohio Valley, spreading across the Great Plains.
Fern will begin to hit the Midwest and Northeast in the early hours of Sunday, with temperatures of -50f forecast for parts of Minnesota.
More than 12,000 flights have been canceled for Sunday – the biggest day of travel chaos since the COVID pandemic.
Thousands in Texas without power
Around 50,000 homes in Texas are without power amid Winter Storm Fern, according to PowerOutage.us.
The state is second behind Louisiana for the most outages in the country. There are over 53,000 homes without power in the Bayou State.
Fern has already begun ravaging Texas, with places of worship and schools announcing closures for Sunday and Monday.
The state is under Winter Storm and Extreme Cold Weather Warnings until at least Sunday.
Storm ravages Midwest as Northeast braces for snowfall and ice
Snow has already hit the Ohio Valley and is traveling East, with parts of the South and Northeast bracing for heavy snowfall and freezing rain tomorrow morning.
Little Rock, Arkansas, has already been hit with almost 8 inches of snow, while Beloit, Kansas, is buried under 7 inches, and Memphis, Tennessee, has seen 3.5 inches.
Temperatures across the US are 10 to 40 degrees below average, with wind chills in the Northern Plains set to plummet to -50 degrees overnight.
Rain or shine – Texas will rodeo
Despite the winter weather warnings, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is carrying on as usual this weekend.
Matt Brockman, a spokesperson for the rodeo, told the New York Times that they don’t cancel events.
‘As somebody in the circus industry once said, the show must go on.’
Texas churches cancel service
Although Texas is a core state in the Bible Belt, Texans have been forced to take a day off from church because of the winter storm.
Fellowship Church recorded a Sunday service on Thursday so parishioners wouldn’t be forced to commute during the storm.
Pastor Ed Young Jr told the New York Times that although attendees can still listen to his sermon virtually, a day without in-person attendance may ‘hurt’ their first-quarter earnings.
‘The offerings, you lose a lot,’ he joked.
Icy conditions down South
Hall Summit, Louisiana, has nearly an inch of ice accumulation since Winter Storm Fern descended on the town.
Other places, like Idabel, Oklahoma, and Timpson, Texas, got a half-inch, according to the Weather Channel.
More than 20 million Americans are under an ice storm warning.
Texas city metro system shut down due to weather
The public transportation system in Austin was shut down at 4pm local time, ending all service on Saturday.
The system will be suspended through Sunday. Weather conditions will be monitored on Monday. It is unclear when the metro system will be reopened.
Texas is expected to undergo an ice storm, with temperatures sinking as low as -5F.
Temperatures set to hit record lows in NYC
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he expected record lows this weekend, warning that temperatures may be the coldest they’ve been in eight years.
He added that officials are expecting at least eight to nine inches of snow along with intense, prolonged frigid temperatures.
The mayor said on Saturday evening that sanitation already begun salting roadways to prepare for the storm.
Mamdani said over 2,000 sanitation workers will be working 12-hour shifts over the weekend and plows are set to go out once two inches of snow hit the ground.
Ten more states under emergency declaration
Donald Trump announced on Truth Social this evening that 10 more states are currently under a state of emergency as winter storm Fern is in full force.
The president said on Truth Social that he’s confirmed emergency declarations for Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia.
‘We are working closely with FEMA, Governors, and State Emergency Management teams to ensure the safety of everybody. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!’ Trump added
Snow blankets Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas
Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas are the first to be covered in snow during a historic winter storm.
Take a look at the wintery scenes below, including a snowy street in Owensboro, Kentucky, fresh snow covering Fort Worth, Texas, snow plows in Arkansas, and a snowy hill in Little Rock.
Midwest and Southern cities engulfed in wintery conditions
Snowfall has already hit Midwest and Southern cities, including:
Amarillo, Texas
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Kansas City, Missouri
Indianapolis, Indiana
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Richmond, Virginia
Meanwhile, the following cities have been hit with a wintry mix of snow and ice:
Nashville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Dallas, Texas
Waffle Houses close in South Carolina
The breakfast mainstay announced it is closing all its stores in South Carolina just after 5pm on Saturday.
Waffle Houses are known for staying open in all but the most extreme circumstances, with their decision to close a further indicator of just how bad things will get.
More than 100,000 without power
The historic winter storm has so-far left 100,000 without power, the Weather Channel reported.
Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain have begun to fall from Texas to Kentucky. Texans have been warned freezing weather may make it too dangerous to go outside for five days.
Forecasters are most fearful of ice accumulation as this is what is most likely to down power lines.
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