A cold snap that paralyzed the east coast
A mass of arctic air, pushed by an intense extratropical cyclone, hit a huge swath of the United States this Sunday. From the Gulf of Mexico to New England, temperatures plummeted, bringing chaos to regions unaccustomed to this level of cold.
More than 150 million people were under alert for icy conditions in the eastern half of the country. It wasn’t just any cold snap. In South Florida, the coldest air mass was recorded since December 1989.
“The wind chill was well below freezing,” said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center.
Unusual and dangerous consequences
The impact was so brutal that it had almost surreal effects. In Florida, the gusts brought snow to areas where it is not common to see it. And the cold was so intense that it left iguanas stunned and immobile, falling into a state of torpor forced by the very low temperatures.
Farther north, in North Carolina, the phenomenon — technically a “bomb cyclone” — dumped some of the heaviest snowfall in recent history. Charlotte woke up with up to 30 centimeters of snow, which collapsed roads and basic services.
Air travel collapsed. Between Saturday and Sunday, more than 4,300 flights were canceled across the country. Charlotte Douglas Airport was one of the epicenters of the chaos. On land, the situation was no better: more than a thousand vehicle accidents and at least two weather-related deaths were reported.
Thousands of homes, mainly in the south, were left without electricity. Authorities urge the population to take extreme precautions as they work to restore services and ensure safety on the roads. An icy reminder of the unleashed force of nature.
