US weather today: Millions brace for ‘heaviest snowfall in a decade’

US weather today: Nearly 63 million people in the US were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch, or warning on Sunday.

US weather today: Temperatures plummeted in several parts of the United States on Sunday after a massive winter storm. Blasts of snow, ice, and wind stirred up dangerous travel conditions in the country's central parts.

A skatepark is covered in snow on January 5, 2025 in Shawnee, Kansas. (AFP)

The storm has brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas, according to experts.

Here's what you need to know about the situation:

• Snow and ice have blanketed major roadways in parts of states like Kansas, Missouri, and Indiana. According to the AP, the state's National Guard was activated to help motorists who were stuck.
• At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions were reported.
• According to the National Weather Service, nearly 63 million people in the US were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch, or warning on Sunday.

Snow falls on a neighborhood street on January 5, 2025 in Shawnee, Kansas (AFP)

• The storms have caused havoc for the nation’s railways, leading to cancellations. Amtrak, the national passenger railroad company of the United States, said in a statement that "adjustments have been made" with no alternative transportation being offered for many rail lines. More than 20 cancellations were predicted on Sunday and more than 40 were planned for Monday.
• Nearly 200 flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri were cancelled, according to the tracking platform FlightAware.
• The Governors of Missouri, Arkansas, and Virginia have declared a state of emergency. Similar declarations have been issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, and central Illinois cities, reported AP.
• Forecasters predict that starting Monday, the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills. Temperatures could be 7 to 14 degrees Celsius below normal.
• Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, told the AP that the Northeastern states are more likely to experience several days of cold following what has mostly been a mild start to winter.
• The storm is expected to move into the Ohio Valley and reach the Mid-Atlantic states on Sunday and Monday, with a hard freeze expected as far south as Florida.
• People in the US, Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south. Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.
  
  (Inputs from AP)