Citizens in nearly two-thirds of the United States woke up Thursday to subzero temperatures and were on alert for a second winter storm this week that could bring heavy snow.

The National Weather Service (NWS) indicated that heavy freezing rain is expected in parts of the Cascades region in the west, with snow accumulations reaching up to 2 feet.

The agency forecast that the center of the storm will move toward the Mississippi Valley today and that snowfall will spread from the north central Plains to the Great Lakes and Atlantic Coast.

Last week’s extreme cold, with a wind chill of minus 57 degrees Celsius, caused some leaks and other damage in North Dakota’s oil fields, The Bismarck Tribune reported.

In New York City the temperature in the morning was three degrees Celsius, with a wind chill of eight below zero, and in Montpelier, Vermont the thermometer read eight below zero and with the wind the wind chill was 13 degrees below zero.

In Washington DC, the federal government returned to normality on Thursday, following a suspension of activities on Monday due to a holiday and weather conditions on Tuesday and a partial reactivation on Wednesday.

United States Secret Service agents stand in the snow in front of the White House in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP

The storm, which The Weather Channel has dubbed “Indigo,” covered the streets of Portland, Oregon, with ice and disrupted power to more than 70,000 users on Wednesday evening, according to the PowerOutage.us platform.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, Thursday’s weather report shows a temperature of 14 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 11 degrees below zero and an 80% chance of snow.

Frozen lake

In Detroit, Michigan, the day started with temperatures of minus four degrees Celsius and the NWS predicted snow accumulations of up to 90 centimeters in the region. Lake Michigan is frozen due to the low temperatures.

The NWS also issued a severe winter conditions advisory for southeastern Ohio and northwestern West Virginia, with heavy snow expected Thursday evening through Friday morning.

A prolonged snowfall is also forecast in the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) region, which could hinder the work of road cleaning trucks and morning traffic on Friday.

Tesla vehicles charge in a snow and salt-covered parking lot on January 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Recent research results show that freezing temperatures reduce driving range by up to 70% in 18 popular electric vehicle models, including Tesla. Photo: AFP

Low temperatures have caused problems for owners and users of electric cars, 1.2 million of which were sold in the United States last year, an unprecedented number.

The Recurrent platform, specialized in batteries, indicates that when the mercury drops below zero, the distance traveled by 18 popular electric car models is reduced by 30%.

Overall, the weather affects about 65 million Americans, and from Oregon to Arkansas and Wyoming to Maine, authorities have reported at least 30 storm-related deaths. (JO)