Weekly Weather Event -Week of January 31
February 4, 2022Winter storms brought snow, ice, and bitter cold to large swaths of the United States this past week, bringing winter weather from Texas all the way up to Ohio and parts of the Mid-Atlantic. Many places saw near record breaking low temperatures, and both Flint and Detroit, Michigan reported record one-day snowfall totals. Flights were canceled all throughout the region, with an estimated 5,200 flights canceled within Texas, Illinois, Colorado, and Ohio. A tornado developed in Alabama, leaving one dead and eight people injured.
Power outages were reported throughout the areas impacted by this storm, including in areas of Kentucky that had been hit by tornadoes in December. Cold temperatures were felt as far south as Texas, mirroring the disastrous and deadly power outages of February 2021. Thankfully, this storm has proven to have far fewer power outages, and outages are more localized because of high winds or icing. This contrasts with last year’s storm where power generators ended up going offline.
Ice accumulation can be extremely hazardous, toppling trees and power lines due to the extra weight and stress. Even low accumulations of ice can make roads dangerous, especially in areas that do not see winter weather on a regular basis.