Winter storm brings heavy snow and freezing temps across U.S.

Snow and ice covered roads across Kansas, western Nebraska, and parts of Indiana as a powerful winter storm created dangerous travel conditions in the central U.S., reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.

The storm, expected to move into the Ohio Valley, brought snow, ice, wind, and freezing temperatures.

Major roadways, including parts of Interstate 70 in Kansas and Indiana, were closed due to heavy snowfall. Kansas and Missouri faced blizzard conditions with wind gusts up to 45 mph. The U.S. National Weather Service warned of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” in some areas, with up to 14 inches predicted.

“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said.

About 63 million people were under winter weather alerts. Kentucky saw record-breaking snowfall, with Louisville reporting 7.7 inches and Lexington 5 inches. Northern Missouri and parts of upstate New York also experienced significant snow, with some areas receiving 3 feet.

Indiana State Police urged drivers to stay off the roads as plows struggled to keep up. Hundreds of accidents were reported, and Missouri's highway patrol rescued over 600 stranded motorists.

The storm disrupted rail and air travel, with Amtrak canceling trains and nearly 200 flights canceled in St. Louis. Kentucky, Kansas, and other states declared emergencies, closing schools and state buildings.

Extreme cold is expected to spread across the eastern U.S., with temperatures 12 to 25 degrees below normal and wind chills creating dangerous conditions. The National Weather Service warned of freezing temperatures as far south as Florida and Georgia.

“If local authorities are telling people not to travel, it’s counterintuitive to try to run a full slate of services when people are being told to stay home,” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said.

Earlier, it was reported that Kazhydromet had issued a weather forecast for Monday, January 6, predicting rain and snow to impact most of Kazakhstan.