Northeast faces life-threatening cold amid South ice storm

• As 8 deaths are now connected to an ice storm in the South.
• More than 15 million people in the area are now under wind chill warnings or advisories due to the extreme weather.
• Cold winter weather; 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero celsius).

The Northeast and New England are anticipated to see a devastating blast of dangerously cold winds on Friday, forcing officials to close schools and activate emergency measures as the area prepares for record-breaking sub-zero temperatures.

With strong gusts and frigid air that could feel as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit below zero in many parts of the region, frostbite could develop in as little as 10 minutes in some places.

“Temperatures in most regions will likely have their highest temperatures of the day before sunrise as temperatures will fall throughout the day Friday. Strong winds will bring dangerously cold temperatures, with the peak of the cold in the Northeast occurring late Friday to Saturday morning,” according to the report.

On Thursday, February 2, 2023, Haley Samford is walking past a sagging power pole on Harmon Avenue in Austin, Texas, during a blizzard. Numerous residents of the state capital and thousands of irate Texans were left without power for more than a day on Thursday as an icy winter storm that has been linked to at least 10 highway fatalities persisted across much of the southern United States.

As 8 deaths are now connected to an ice storm in the South, New England will experience its coldest wind chills in decades.

More than 15 million people in the area are now under wind chill warnings or advisories due to the extreme weather. The weather service issued such advisories when winds are predicted to feel as cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, which is how cold the air may feel.

By Sunday, when temperatures are predicted to return to their normal range, the cold snap should start to break. In the interim, authorities in some states have started pleading with citizens to stay inside and have stepped up warming centre efforts to help some of the most vulnerable people to the cold.

As a precaution for the safety of the children and staff, schools in Buffalo, New York, and at least three districts in Massachusetts chose to cancel classes on Friday. Additionally, a cold emergency is in effect in Boston from Friday through Sunday.

We have decided to close for the day, according to Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper, because of the severe weather and the fact that many of our children walk or wait for public transportation outside to get to and from school.

When temperatures drop below 32 degrees, officials in Buffalo’s home county of Erie County, New York, issued a code blue, allowing individuals who are homeless to seek refuge for the night. There are daytime warming centres in addition to the county’s three newly opened overnight shelters.

Buffalo is now experiencing record-breaking cold, weeks after Erie County was devastated by blizzard conditions over the Christmas holiday, killing at least 39 people. A devastating ice storm that made travel difficult this week and claimed at least eight lives in two states is also plaguing the South.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz posted on his website, “Please dress appropriately and don’t venture out for extended periods in order to avoid frostbite or hypothermia.”

Warming facilities are anticipated to be accessible in the neighbouring states of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont, according to officials.

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