Huge Storm to Strike the Eastern United States
In the eastern United States, winter storms brought record snows over the weekend of January 23. Credit: AP Photo
January 22, 2016
A winter storm that has been predicted for the last week has finally hit the southeastern United States. On Friday afternoon, January 22, the storm covered the southeastern United States—including North Carolina and Virginia—with 7 to 9 inches (17.5 to 23 centimeters) of snow. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the storm’s size was huge. It will move up the East Coast, dropping snow for the entire weekend. Some regions in the storm’s path are expected to receive as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow. Some areas will also see high winds, blizzard conditions, and storm surges (sudden onrushes of tidal waves caused by strong winds) with flooding.
As the storm travels up the Coast into such areas as Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, it will be striking in areas used to heavy snowfall. The southern United States region, however, is far less used to snowfall. Two feet (61 centimeters) or more of snow are predicted for the Washington, D.C. region. That region receives an average of 14.5 inches (37 centimeters) per year.
Some 50 to 75 million people will be affected by the storm. Subways in Washington, D.C., were closing for January 22 through January 24. Almost 3,000 flights were canceled on January 22, mostly in the south. Another 3,000 flights were canceled for January 23.
