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The “once-in-a-generation” catastrophic “bomb cyclone” rolling across the United States is projected to reach its peak strength on Friday, bringing one of the coldest Christmases ever and causing more than 5,000 flights to be canceled.
Beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, Winter Storm Elliott triggered a state of emergency in New York and placed two-thirds of the nation under some type of extreme weather alert.
In some locations, temperatures have already dropped by 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with forecasts predicting more drops.
Britta Merwin, a meteorologist with Fox Weather, stated, “If you’re waking up in Chicago at 27 degrees and feeling cold, you’re in for a rude awakening.”
Behind this cold front, the situation becomes perilous.
It is anticipated that Winter Storm Elliott will be a “once-in-a-generation” extreme weather event.
In locations like Des Moines, Iowa, the temperature will feel like negative 37 degrees, making frostbite probable in less than five minutes. Thursday was the coldest day in Denver in 32 years, as the thermometer dipped to minus 24.
Still, the storm has not yet reached its full intensity, which is expected to impact the Great Lakes on Friday evening, according to the Fox forecast center.
As of early Friday morning, hundreds of thousands of households across the United States were without power, and powerful winds are anticipated to knock out more as the storm worsens, creating a life-threatening situation for those who lose electricity in such low weather.
At least two deaths have already been attributed to hazardous driving conditions on the highways.
In numerous regions, officials are imploring motorists to remain off the roads.
AP
In the Portland region of Oregon, a man was killed after a semi-truck crashed onto the site of a prior collision. Police said that one individual died in Kansas City, Missouri, after a vehicle overturned into an icy creek.
50 mph wind gusts pummeled the area surrounding Portland, bringing down trees on top of homes. In the Columbia River Gorge, wind gusts reached 80 miles per hour, causing hazardous traffic conditions.
Officials throughout the United States are advising citizens not to travel during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
“This event might be life-threatening if you become stuck,” cautioned the National Weather Service in Minnesota, where scores of wrecks were reported.
According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, more than 5,000 flights were canceled for Thursday and Friday, with two major airports in Chicago accounting for roughly 1,300 of the cancellations.
Thousands of flights have been canceled, as depicted by the red bar at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Thursday.
AP
Amtrak has canceled scores of trains, including those from New York to Chicago, over the holiday season, making it difficult for those seeking alternative routes.
Even after being warned that traveling during the historic storm could prove fatal, several travelers vow they will travel anyhow.
Brandon Mattis, age 24, was stranded at New York’s La Guardia Airport following the cancellation of his flight to Atlanta, Georgia, where he still intends to celebrate Christmas with the rest of his family.
“We are attempting to… identify alternative methods. Perhaps we’ll take a bus from here to Atlanta, which will take approximately 21 hours,” he suggested.
This is quite inconvenient. However, we will do whatever it takes to reach our destination.
»Deadly ‘bomb cyclone’ will peak Friday, grounding 5,000 flights«