The governor urged residents to stay indoors and prioritize safety as heavy snowstorms impacted parts of the U.S. Virginia State Police reported over 135 crashes, with some injuries, as the storm moved through on Sunday.
In Charleston, West Virginia, where several inches of snow fell, authorities advised motorists to stay home, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple crashes, asking for patience in 911 calls.
Air and rail travel were severely affected, with Amtrak canceling over 60 trains across multiple days, including regional routes between Chicago and New York, and flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport were also heavily canceled.
Temperatures across the eastern U.S. plunged, with some areas experiencing a bone-chilling cold of 12 to 25 degrees below normal.
In Chicago, temperatures reached the teens, while Minneapolis and International Falls saw sub-zero conditions.
Cold air from Canada was expected to affect the East Coast, including Georgia, with freezing temperatures reaching the single digits in some regions.
Wind chill further amplified the danger.
The National Weather Service issued warnings for snow accumulation of up to 12 inches in Maryland, prompting states of emergency in Virginia, West Virginia, and Illinois.
School closures were widespread, with many districts in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia canceling classes, including Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky, where nearly 100,000 students were affected.
