At a Glance
- A portion of Interstate 70 was closed in Missouri.
- More than 4,000 flights were canceled.
- Residents in many areas were being advised to stay home.
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Portions of major interstates were shut down, thousands of flights were canceled, school was called off in multiple states and residents were told to stay home as a significant winter storm treks across the Plains and Midwest.
The storm, named Landon by The Weather Channel, brought ice, snow and plunging temperatures to many areas Wednesday, and it's expected to impact a wide swath of the U.S. from the Rocky Mountains to the Southern Plains up to the Northeast through Friday.
One state in particular – Texas – is keeping a wary eye on the weather. Winter storms and frigid cold left unprecedented power outages in the state last year. More than 240 deaths were connected to winter weather there in February 2021.
(MORE: The Latest Forecast for Winter Storm Landon)
Landon is the fourth winter storm to cause travel delays and power outage concerns across multiple states in just the past three weeks. That's not unusual this time of year, though. The end of January through February is the height of winter storm season.
Here's a look at what happened as the storm's impacts ramped up Wednesday:
Indiana Governor: First Statewide Weather Event in Five Years
Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a news briefing Wednesday that this is the first weather event in his tenure that required a statewide response, the Indianapolis Star reported. He stopped short of declaring a statewide emergency as some neighboring states did, but said:
"We are not just prepared for the next coming days and the weather ahead, but we are overprepared, and we would suggest everyone (do) the same."
Hard-Hit By December Tornadoes, Parts of Kentucky Are Bracing for an Ice Storm
Less than two months ago, a historic December tornado outbreak spawned 66 tornadoes, the majority of which were in Missouri, southern Illinois, northeastern Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Two of those tornadoes were rated EF4, including Kentucky's longest-track tornado, a 166-mile-long twister that devastated Mayfield, Kentucky.
At least 87 deaths were blamed on the tornadoes, and communities there are still deep in grief and recovery.
Now, an ice storm is headed their way.
Click here to read the full story on what areas are expected to get the worst of the winter storm's ice.
Flight Cancellations Soar
Between Wednesday and Thursday, more than 4,000 flights were canceled at airports in major cities in the storm's path, including Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Detroit, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Cincinnati, according to airline tracking website FlightAware.
Travelers are being advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport.
Take Safety Precautions When Using Generators
While widespread outages weren't yet occurring Wednesday evening, anyone using a generator is reminded to take the proper safety precautions to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. That includes these tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:
-If you lose power, use your generator outside your house only, at least 20 feet from your home or any other buildings.
-Never use a generator inside a home, garage or shed.
-Make sure you have working CO alarms in your home.
-Make sure you have working smoke alarms, too, and check the batteries.
Grills and similar equipment should also never be used inside a home.
At least 430 people in the U.S. die from accidental CO poisoning each year, and 50,000 end up in the emergency room, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State of Emergency in Arkansas
Arkansas joined the list of states to declare an emergency ahead of the storm.
Numerous Crashes in Illinois
Roads across the region were impacted, including a stretch of Interstate 55 in the central part of the state.
Missouri Roads Covered in Snow and Ice
Major routes across Missouri, including Interstates 70, 44 and 72 are covered with snow and ice as of about 1:45 p.m. CDT, according to the state Department of Transportation.
State of Emergency Declared in Kentucky
“If everything holds to where it is right now, this is the real deal," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in an afternoon news briefing. "It is dangerous, people need to be prepared … and potentially be prepared to deal with this emergency for the next several days.”
The governor declared a state of emergency and activated some National Guard Troops.
Areas under high risk of heavy ice include Paducah and Louisville.
Hazardous Travel Conditions Expected as Soon as Tonight in Texas
Texas Department of Transportation Spokesman Tony Hartzel advised people to practice caution when venturing out on roads, even if things don't look bad.
“If you don’t have to travel anytime starting now, or into this evening, just don’t travel," Hartzel told The Weather Channel. "We’re looking at the major impacts to be starting overnight and into tomorrow morning, but certainly some of these bridges will ice over early and so people might not be expecting that so much.”
Rain is expected to transition to freezing rain in areas including Dallas-Fort Worth. On Thursday, snow, sleet and freezing rain may persist as far south as central and northern Texas.
Some Roads Can't Be Pre-Treated Due to Rain
While crews were out in force clearing roads in several states and trying to keep ahead of the weather, rain in some areas means roads can't be pre-treated ahead of incoming snow, ice and freezing temperatures.
Rain washes away the solution crews use to help prevent icing.
Officials in Indiana, for example, were warning that could contribute to hazardous driving conditions. More than 50 National Guard teams were being deployed to help stranded motorists, The Associated Press reported. Residents were being asked to stay home if possible.
“We have the resources to weather this storm. What we really need is cooperation," Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a Wednesday news conference. "Stay safe.
Power Outages Tick Up
About 13,000 homes and businesses are without electricity in Illinois as of 12:40 p.m. CDT, according to PowerOutage.us. Most are scattered across the middle to southern parts of the state.
Drivers Asked To Avoid Travel in Missouri
“If you do not have to travel, please stay off of the roadways as much as possible, give the crews room to work," Sarah Russell, commissioner of emergency management for the city of St. Louis, told The Weather Channel Wednesday morning.
If you must go out, Russell said, be prepared for delays and the possibility of being stranded. Have supplies such as snacks, water, blankets, salt, kitty litter, as well as a phone charger and a full tank of gas when you start your trip.
“We know this is a long duration storm," she said.
Dallas, Dozens of Other School Districts Close in Texas
Schools across Central and North Texas are announcing school closures for Thursday, and in some cases Friday, as the storm's impacts widen.
Ice is a major concern.
Districts that have already called off classes according to local media include Dallas, Arlington, Denton, Fort Worth, Irving, Plano, Round Rock, Hays and Lake Travis
Deliveries Could be Delayed
At least one major shipping companies is warning customers that delays are possible.
"The FedEx meteorology and operations teams are closely monitoring Winter Storm Landon as it develops across the Central United States," FedEx said in an update posted Wednesday on its website. "The storm could create hazardous conditions for our team members and their safety remains our number one priority.
Contingency plans are in place, and we will be prepared to provide the best possible service in areas affected by the winter storm and as local conditions allow."
I-70 Closed in Missouri
A portion of Interstate 70 is closed west of Columbia as of 11:45 a.m. CST, with road conditions described as "terrible" by emergency management officials, according to a tweet from the Kansas City office of the National Weather Service.
Truckers are having trouble getting up hills in the area and at least one semi is jackknifed, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Travel Treacherous in Illinois
Things aren't any better in Central Illinois, where a portion of westbound I-74 in Piatt County is blocked by multiple jackknifed semi trailers as of 11:45 a.m. CDT.
Traffic cameras early this morning showed treacherous conditions on I-80 in the Chicago area.
Flights Canceled at Major Airports
More than 500 flights are canceled at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as of noon CDT and hundreds of others are delayed, according to airline tracking website FlightAware. Over 300 are canceled at St. Louis Lambert International, where Southwest Airlines is completely shut down.
Other major cities reporting airport delays or cancelations include Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit and Indianapolis.
Texas Officials Say Grid Is Ready
Large accumulations of ice and snow are possible, making power outages a major concern.
"With a quarter-inch of ice, there can be power outages and roads will be a mess," weather.com meteorologist Ari Sarsalari said Tuesday. "When you get up to about a half-inch or more, that's when you start to see a lot of tree branches coming down, significant power outages."
The prospect of losing electricity is especially unsettling in parts of Texas, where just shy of one year ago an outbreak of record-breaking frigid weather and a trio of storms, in particular Winter Storm Uri, left millions of people without electricity or clean running water, in some cases for several weeks.
That weather was unprecedented for Texas, with multiple back-to-back days of below-normal temperatures.
Winter Storm Landon will be nothing like that.
"The coldest air of this outbreak will only last a few days, at most, rather than the solid week straight siege one year ago," weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman wrote in an article published Monday. "While this will certainly be a headache, we don't anticipate a repeat of the multi-billion dollar disaster that was the Feb. 2021 cold wave."
The Texas Department of State Health Services connected more than 246 deaths brutal winter weather that month, including people who froze to death in their own homes or succumbed to fires or carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to stay warm.
(MORE: Winter Storm Landon Tracker Maps: Radar, Forecast Snow, Ice and Timing)
The power outages prompted outcry and reform, including new laws on how power plants must prepare for winter and fines up to $1,000,000 per day for those who fail to do so.
In January, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, known as ERCOT, released a report on inspections of 324 power facilities. The agency, which manages the flow of electricity from producers to consumers, said all but three met new winterization standards.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott assured residents Tuesday the grid was up to par, and said the highest demand was expected Friday morning.
“No one can guarantee that there won't be any" outages, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said during a briefing in Austin. “But what we will work to achieve, and what we're prepared to achieve, is that power is going to stay on across the entire state.”
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
