Arctic blast brings record-breaking temperatures across the U.S.
A dangerous deep freeze is about to get worse for millions of Americans as it widens and tightens its grip. From the Great Lakes to New England, people are digging out from deep snow.
At least five people died on icy roads, including an 8-year-old girl in Kansas. Sleet-slicked roads caused a 50 car pileup near Youngstown, Ohio, that left two people critically injured. Forty miles west in Hudson, multiple collisions caused cars to spin off the road. Overnight, a bus carrying seven passengers landed on its side after the driver lost control just south of Syracuse, New York.
Meanwhile, snowfall records shattered across the Northeast and Great Lakes. In Buffalo, New York, nearly nine inches of snow broke a 77-year old record. Parts of northern Michigan saw upwards of 30 inches of snowfall.
Steam rose from Lake Superior in Minnesota as the temperature there hovered around zero and Chicago set a new record low at seven degrees. But an even more unusual sight was snow as far south as Richmond, Virginia and Nashville, Tennessee.
In New England, a boat rescue was caught on camera, after three students from the University of Maine became stuck while conducting fieldwork in freezing conditions.
2 killed in Ohio crashes
A woman was killed in a car crash on Interstate 80 in Richfield, Ohio, on Tuesday morning. Ciearra Money Audrey Brown was involved in a 16-car crash around 8:45 a.m. The 21-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Township of Richfield.
The driver of a semi-trailer also lost his life Tuesday morning following an accident on Interstate 70, AP reports. The driver crashed into a medic unit and was ejected from the cab of the truck. At least six people have died Monday and Tuesday as a result of traffic accidents linked to adverse weather conditions.
3 hospitalized after multiple car crashes in Ohio
Three people were sent to the hospital, two in critical condition, Tuesday after multiple crashes involving tractor-trailers near Youngstown, Ohio. A massive accident on Interstate 80 sent a 22-year-old and a 62-year-old to the hospital with serious injuries, CBS affiliate WKBN reported.
Early reports indicated the crash, which happened shortly before 10:30 a.m., involved over 50 cars but Ohio State Highway Patrol noted "details on how many total vehicles won't be available until later." Austintown Fire Chief Andy Frost told CBS News eight semi-trailers were involved.
Another crash on I-76 shut the interstate down between I-80 and State Route 46 to the Ohio Turnpike, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. The westbound portion of I-80 in Austintown was also shut down from Salt Springs Road to the Turnpike.
A third crash, also involving multiple semi-trailers, occurred in Mercer County about 4 miles west of exit 15 on the westbound side of I-80.
Snow piles up in Maine and slicks roads seen in New Hampshire and Vermont
Far northern Maine saw snow totals approaching a foot as the storm packing a wintry mix of precipitation moves through the region. Snow has been piling up at a similar rate in northern Vermont.
The storm created slippery conditions across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Across the area, dozens of events were delayed or canceled because of the weather. In Maine, Governor Janet Mills delayed the opening of state offices Tuesday.
Vermont Detective Lieutenant John-Paul Schmidt told CBS affiliate WCAX-TV there were a handful of crashes in the southern part of Vermont early Tuesday. The station said crews have been out plowing and drivers were advised to be careful around plow trucks.
3 cities in Arkansas and Tennessee hit record lows
Weather officials said three cities in Arkansas and Tennessee have created or tied record low temperatures as a wintry weather system crawled through the mid-South region. The National Weather Service said the Tennessee cities of Memphis and Jackson recorded low temperatures for the date Tuesday of 21 degrees and 19 degrees, respectively.
Forecasters said the prior record in Memphis was 23 and 21 in Jackson.
NWS also said that Jonesboro, Arkansas, tied a record low of 20 degrees.
Meanwhile, Memphis and other parts of Tennessee saw light snow Tuesday. Some school systems canceled classes, while others delayed the start of the school day.
-- AP
More than 10 inches of snow in Buffalo, New York
The snow total had surpassed 10 inches at the Buffalo airport by Tuesday morning, making the first significant snowfall in New York a record-breaker for the date. National Weather Service records show the 8.7 inches that fell before 12 a.m. Tuesday broke the record of 5.3 inches set in 1942.
A bus carrying seven passengers turned over on its side on a snow-slicked highway south of Syracuse. No one was seriously hurt in the 1:30 a.m. crash Tuesday of the New York City-bound bus, police said. They say unreasonable speed for the conditions was a factor.
Rochester will eventually be digging out from a similar amount. Numerous school closings and delays also were reported.
-- AP
Record-low temperatures set in 6 Kansas cities
A cold front that froze much of Kansas set at least six records for low temperatures. The National Weather Service reports Wichita, Salina, Russell, Dodge City, Garden City and Medicine Lodge set low-temperature records early Tuesday
The lowest temperature was in Garden City, which dropped to minus 1, breaking the record of 7 set in 2018. The highest temperature of the six cities was 8 in Wichita, breaking the former record of 9.
Wichita, Salina, Dodge City and Medicine Lodge broke records set in 1911.
Much of Kansas experienced below-freezing temperatures after an arctic air mass moved from the Rocky Mountains to northern New England on Monday, with forecasters saying much of the affected region would see record-breaking cold temperatures Tuesday.
-- AP
"The coldest we can be"
The National Weather Service said Tuesday and Wednesday may see record cold from the southern Plains to the Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes and beyond, thanks to what it calls an "arctic airmass" that started in Siberia and has been spilling over a big chunk of the Midwest and East Coast.
There will still be plenty of snow into Tuesday in parts of the Northeast as the weather service reported the region may see up to a foot of snow, creating what it called "hazardous travel conditions."
Meanwhile, temperatures were forecast below freezing as far south as the Texas Gulf Coast.
Records are expected to be broken in Chicago, as well. Weather service meteorologist Kevin Birk said the high for the Windy City is expected to reach 21 degrees, which is seven degrees lower than the previous record set for Nov. 12. Low temperatures in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa could drop into the single digits, according to Birk.
"This is an air mass that's more typical for the middle of January than mid-November," said Birk. "It is pretty much about the coldest we can be this time of year (and) it could break records all over the region."
-- AP
4 deaths linked to poor driving conditions
At least four people have been killed Monday in car crashes linked to snow, ice and poor driving conditions, officials said.
In Michigan, three people were killed in a two-vehicle car crash, according to a Facebook post from the Eaton County Sheriff's Department. "It is believed that the very poor road conditions were a factor in this crash, however, it remains under investigation," the sheriff's office wrote.
In Kansas, an 8-year-old girl was killed when a car lost control on an icy highway, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. The car crossed the center line and hit the vehicle carrying the child head-on, causing another vehicle to rear-end her car.
-- Victoria Albert
More than a foot of snow expected in parts of the Northeast
More than a foot of snow is expected in parts of the Northeast in the coming days. The National Weather Service said northernmost Maine could see 10 to 14 inches of snow through Tuesday, and parts of central and northern Vermont could also see up to a foot of snow.
Lesser amounts are expected in northern New Hampshire and parts of the western Maine mountains and foothills. Other areas will see a mix of freezing rain and only an inch or two of snow.
Temperatures will dip into the single digits Tuesday night in the northern half of Maine and New Hampshire. The cold temperatures will continue Wednesday before warming a bit later in the week.
-- AP
More than 1,000 flights canceled in Chicago
Airlines at O'Hare and Midway airports have canceled more than 1,000 flights amid snowy conditions, CBS Chicago reported.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory, which was in effect until 2 p.m. Total accumulations are expected to reach 3 to 6 inches, with the heaviest snowfall expected over the northern and central parts of the Chicago area. Snow totals were expected to amount to 2 to 4 in the city.
A daily record was set for snowfall at O'Hare by midday with 3.4 inches of measurable snow. Average delays are over 90 minutes at O'Hare and less than 15 minutes at Midway.
Snow wreaks havoc on St. Louis rush hour
Sixty-one crashes were reported near the St. Louis metro area Monday as snow began to fall, CBS affiliate KMOV-TV reports. Nine people were injured in the crashes, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol Troop.
The snow also worsened traffic on a number of interstates. On one interstate, a jack-knifed tractor-trailer blocked all eastbound traffic, KMOV reports. On another, an overturned tractor-trailer blocked all but one eastbound lane.
The city is under a winter weather advisory until 6 p.m. CST, with 1 to 2 total inches of snow expected. Winds are expected to reach up to 30 mph. The National Weather Service warned that "the rapid fall of temperatures into the 20s could result in a flash freeze of untreated roads, bridges and overpasses."
Plane skids off runway in Chicago
An American Airlines flight from Greensboro, North Carolina, slid off a runway at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Monday morning after its landing gear snapped. None of the 38 passengers or three crew members were injured.
"I think everybody was just holding their breath because we didn't know what was coming. A lot of people were bracing for it, grabbing the seats in front of us," passenger Shaun Steele told CBS Chicago.