58d ago / 5:10 AM UTC
Flooding, high tides hit the Northeast
In other parts of the U.S., if the problem wasn’t snow and wind, it was water: Record high tides hit the Northeast, flooding some homes in Maine and New Hampshire.
The coastal Northeast was pounded by 1 to 2 inches of rain in the morning, and a storm surge amplified what was already the month’s highest tide, National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Cempa said.
In Portland, Maine, a gauge recorded a 14.57-foot difference between high and average low tide, topping a prior record of 14.17 feet set in 1978.
Photos from Joshua Smick of Hampton, New Hampshire, showed rushing water on roads in the coastal town.
“I’m 42 years old, and I don’t recall ever seeing anything like this in New England before," Smick told NBC News.
58d ago / 4:48 AM UTC
Frigid but happy in Kansas City after a Chiefs playoff win
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With frosty suites, a cracked helmet, a frozen mustache, it's hardly surprising that the Chiefs' 26-7 win over the Dolphins ranks as the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.
And while minus 8 degrees (and minus 25 wind chill) was plenty cold for fans at Arrowhead Stadium tonight, the all-time coldest NFL game record was never at risk. That belongs to the 1967 NFL championship game: It was minus 13 when the Packers beat the Cowboys at Lambeau Field in the Ice Bowl. Wind made that day feel like minus 48 degrees
So until Kansas City knows who and where the Chiefs play next, Wednesday is the focus. That's the next time temps will climb above freezing.
58d ago / 4:09 AM UTC
Millions under winter weather warnings, advisories
As of Saturday night, 45 million people in the United States were under a winter weather advisory, according to the National Weather Service.
A wind chill warning affected more than 30 million and a wind chill advisory was in place for another 63 million. A winter storm warning was in effect for 18 million.
58d ago / 3:42 AM UTC
Great Lakes region pummeled by snow
Cities along the Great Lakes and in the region continue to be affected by major snowstorms tonight and into tomorrow, with warnings from the National Weather Service that an additional 1-2 feet of snow will be dumped on some parts of the area through Monday.
The Weather Service said whiteout conditions are expected in the lake-effect snow bands as the arrival of cold air generates more heavy snow. Parts of western and southern New York State will see 12-24 more inches through Monday and parts of Michigan are expecting more than a foot.
Chicago has already seen 6.7 inches of snow, with other parts of Illinois recording more than 13 inches. The area is expecting another 1-2 inches tonight.
Milwaukee has 10.1 inches of snow on the ground and nearby Waukesha, Wisconsin, is in 14-16 inches territory.
Buffalo is expecting 8-12 inches of snow tonight and into Sunday before the Monday dump. Detroit only has a few inches right now, but will likely see more as the storm continues.
By 6 a.m., the Twin Cities were reporting around 2 inches of snowfall, but other areas of the state further south and areas near the border in Wisconsin are already seeing more than a foot.
58d ago / 3:23 AM UTC
Possibility of snow squalls in New York City tomorrow
New York City could see snow squalls in addition to strong winds and cold temperatures tomorrow, the New York City Emergency Management Department said in a weather alert issued for Sunday.
An Arctic cold front will grace the area Sunday afternoon, bringing the potential for snow squalls, leading to low visibility, gusty winds and short periods of moderate to heavy snow.
Squalls often last less than 30 minutes but can be intense, like a "mini-blizzard," the weather alert said. City-dwellers should be prepared for a half inch of snow on the ground and 40-45 mph winds from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Roads can get slippery during snow squalls, but because of mild temperatures in New York City, they shouldn't get icy.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city will be working to salt streets but asked New Yorkers to stay off the roads if there is a snow squall warning in their neighborhood.
58d ago / 3:01 AM UTC
Kansas City leads at half, but Miami winning the weather game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs may be heading into the locker room with the lead — they're up 16-7 — but there's no doubt that Miami is sitting way prettier, the city of Miami that is.
It's 69 degrees in Miami, downright steamy when you compare it to what it feels like in Kansas City: 23 below.
That's weather cold enough to freeze your mustache, just ask Chiefs Coach Andy Reid.
58d ago / 2:40 AM UTC
Underground heating, sideline heaters and wet suits: How players are keeping warm at Arrowhead Stadium
Despite patches of ice covering GEHA field at Arrowhead Stadium, the conditions in Kansas City appear worse than they actually are, with players telling NBC Sports' Kaylee Hartung that they were having no trouble during warm ups.
That's thanks to Arrowhead's underground heating system, comprised of boilers pumping heat into thousands of feet of pipes, which acts "like a radiator to warm the grass and roots" to keep the field from totally freezing over, Hartung said.
Each player has a different strategy — the Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert is wearing a sleeveless wetsuit, Hartung reported. And each team's sideline has heated benches and heaters blowing air to keep players — like Tyreek Hill, who said he is wearing short sleeves because he didn't want to look "soft" — and coaches warm.
Watch the full report on NBC Sports.
58d ago / 2:17 AM UTC
Nebraska governor declares state of emergency
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced a state of emergency, citing “very dangerous conditions.” Up to 2 feet of snow fell in some areas over the past week, and wind chills were well below zero.
“This event is not going away tonight. It’s not going away tomorrow,” Pillen said at a news conference “It’s going to take a number of days.”
About 1,700 miles of Nebraska highways were closed. State police assisted over 400 stranded motorists, said Col. John A. Bolduc, head of the Nebraska State Patrol.
58d ago / 2:06 AM UTC
Wind chill in the single digits in Portland, Oregon
The National Weather Service’s Portland, Oregon, office says wind chill temperatures in the metro area are in the single digits this afternoon.
“Frost bite can occur within 30 minutes if you are not properly dressed,” it said on social media platform X.
It warned of multiple trees down in the area, and the Oregon Department of Transportation and the road services agency for Multnomah County, which includes Portland, both posted photos of massive trees or branches resting across roadways.
Winds as powerful as 45 mph were expected in northwest Oregon and along the state’s central coast, the weather service said. Gusts of 50 mph were possible in the Puget Sound, it said. Snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches were expected in the Cascade foothills, federal forecasters said.
58d ago / 1:17 AM UTC
Warm before the storm in North Texas
DALLAS — It was nice and sunny earlier, just long enough to squeeze in a walk or bring the plants in before the weather dips below freezing until Wednesday afternoon.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport hit 63 degrees today, but temperatures have been dropping rapidly, plunging to 31 degrees as of 6 p.m.
Wintry precipitation is expected to begin tomorrow afternoon. Dallas-Fort Worth is expected to see mostly sleet and freezing rain through Monday morning, but up to half an inch of snow is likely northeast of the metro area.
58d ago / 12:46 AM UTC
Kansas City fans — and Taylor, too — bundle up to root on Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The city ready to host one of the coldest games in NFL history is bundled up.
Many fans at Arrowhead Stadium for tonight's Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins playoff game spent part of the day doing a dress rehearsal.
They collected and tried on hats, blankets, base layers, battery-operated clothing and boots this afternoon so they would be as prepared as possible for the subzero temperature in the stands.
The Chiefs made some weather accommodations — allowing blankets, cardboard (to stand on) and portable chargers to power heated apparel; setting up warming stations; offering hot coffee and chocolate to designated drivers — but there is only so much you can do when the feels-like temperature is 24 below zero.
And though she'll likely be watching the game in a heated suite, the Chiefs' most recognizable fan came dressed in winter gear, too.
Taylor Swift, who is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, arrived in a coat featuring her beau's name and number. (But if she's in the elements for any amount of time, she's gonna want to zip it up!)
58d ago / 11:57 PM UTC
Seattle wind chill 'Cold enough to freeze your latte before you can Instagram it!'
As a new storm moved into the Pacific Northwest and California from the Pacific overnight, potent winds emerged and temperatures plunged to levels rarely experienced in this corner of the nation.
The National Weather Service office in Seattle forecast a wind chill temperature — the feels-like temperature when strong wind is included as a factor — of minus 34 in the Cascade mountains south of Mount Rainier.
"Cold enough to freeze your latte before you can Instagram it!" its account on social media platform X stated.
The White Pass resort 12 miles southeast of Mount Rainier National Park warned skiers and snowboarders to bring "multiple layers of face protectors" to fend off the cold blasts of wind, adding on Facebook, "This storm has been relentless."
58d ago / 11:36 PM UTC
Anything can be an ice rink
The weather in Vancouver, Canada, was cold enough to freeze water at a construction site, setting up a makeshift ice rink for one person.
A video shared on X by user Pucks on Net showed a man skating and practicing his hockey moves on the ice.
An arctic outflow warning is in effect for Vancouver through Sunday, with wind chill values near minus 20 for the metro area.
58d ago / 10:26 PM UTC
Portland officials investigating suspected hypothermia death
At least one person in Portland, Oregon, is believed to have died due to dangerously cold temperatures, officials said.
The person, who has not been identified, died today, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Program said in a news release. The medical examiner's office is investigating it as a suspected hypothermia death.
"Investigators say confirmation will not be complete for several weeks to months," the office said. "No other details are being released at this time."
58d ago / 9:11 PM UTC
More than 456K customers across U.S. without power
More than 456,000 customers across the U.S. are without power. As of 4 p.m., Michigan had the highest number of outages with 155,054, according to poweroutage.us.
Oregon was at 126,435 and Wisconsin at 71,184 customers who are living without power.
In Pennsylvania, nearly 30,000 customers were in the dark. New York, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and New Hampshire also had significant outages.
58d ago / 7:55 PM UTC
Travel ban issued in Erie County, New York
Travel in Western New York is expected to be “impossible and dangerous” once the storm hits, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news briefing today, urging residents to stay home.
In Erie County, a full travel ban for passenger vehicles is in effect beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The ban will be reassessed Sunday at 6 a.m., the governor’s office said.
“Forecasts predict the most dangerous winter storm conditions since the Christmas Blizzard of 2022,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “Working closely with County and City leaders, we are instituting a 9:00 p.m. travel ban that takes effect tonight to keep motorists safe.”
Commercial traffic is also banned on all state, county and local roads in Erie County and on the New York State Thruway. That ban will remain in effect indefinitely, according to the governor.
59d ago / 6:56 PM UTC
Thousands of flights canceled across U.S.
More than 1,100 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware.
Delays were even higher, totaling 3,564.
The Federal Aviation Administration urged travelers to check with their airline before heading to the airport.
"Storms throughout the U.S. continue to cause cancellations and delays tonight & tomorrow," the FAA said in a post on X.
59d ago / 5:48 PM UTC
Iowa State Patrol received calls for 86 crashes
The Iowa State Patrol received calls for 86 crashes between 12:30 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday, the agency said in a post on X.
During that same time period, there were 71 calls for property damage and 15 for personal injury.
59d ago / 5:37 PM UTC
More than 70 people evacuated after frozen sprinkler at Arizona assisted living facility causes water leak
More than 70 people at an assisted living facility in Arizona had to be evacuated after a water leak caused by a frozen sprinkler led to the collapse of drywall, officials said.
The leak happened on the third floor of Ativo Senior Living of Prescott Valley, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority said in a post on X. There was significant damage to all three floors of the facility.
Forty-two residents were displaced, according to the fire department. No one was injured, the fire department said.
Insight Living, which is the owner and management company of the building, told Fox 10 Phoenix that the frozen sprinkler was caused by freezing temperatures.
59d ago / 5:19 PM UTC
Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers game postponed
The Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game has been postponed until Monday at 4:30 p.m., New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
“I’ve been in communication with @NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend," she said in a post on X.
"In consultation with our emergency response teams, @BuffaloBills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 pm Monday,” the governor said.
59d ago / 3:54 PM UTC
'Brutally cold' temperatures hit Billings, Montana, setting new record
Billings, Montana, was hit with "brutally cold" temperatures with a drop to negative 25 degrees around midnight, breaking a daily record low set on Jan. 13, 1997, when it was negative 22 degrees, the National Weather Service in Billings said in a post on X.
It was also the first time since 1997 that the city set a daily record low in January, the weather agency said.
Bitter cold is also expected in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area. The local National Weather Service said temperatures will gradually drop throughout the weekend, with highs in the single digits and teens. Lows will be in the single digits above and below zero through at least Wednesday, according to the weather agency.
59d ago / 11:12 AM UTC
Dangerously cold wind, heavy snow predicted
Wind chills reaching subzero conditions, freezing rain and heavy snow will affect regions across the U.S. this weekend from the West to the South, the National Weather Service has warned, saying conditions will continue into next week.
Parts of the Midwest will experience “near record, dangerously low temperatures and wind chills” with the subzero conditions stretching into the Deep South by late next week, the service added.
Heavy snow will make travel “poor to impossible” from Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Utah, including the Portland, Boise and Salt Lake City metropolitan areas, it added, warning of tree and power line damage in Oregon due to freezing rain.
Wind chills of up to minus 65 degrees are expected in Montana through to the western Dakotas, it said, with conditions expected to remain between minus 40 and minus 60 until Wednesday.
59d ago / 11:12 AM UTC
Rescuers recover skier's body after Idaho avalanche
The body of a man believed to have been killed in yesterday’s Idaho avalanche was recovered by rescuers this afternoon and identified, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The man, in a group of three skiers caught in the avalanche near Steven’s Peak yesterday afternoon, was identified today as Corey J. Zalewski, it said. The two others were located by deputies after a Garmin GPS device alerted authorities they were in trouble, the office said.
Those two survived and were recovering, it said. Deputies and members of the U.S. Air Force, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Silver Valley Search and Rescue, and the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol were part of the search.
Steven’s Peak reaches 7,000 feet near Idaho’s border with Montana. It’s popular with hikers, skiers and climbers.
A 66-year-old man died in an avalanche in Tahoe, California, on Wednesday.
59d ago / 11:12 AM UTC
Snow in the Midwest causes havoc
A winter storm dumped snow across the United States on Friday. In Milwaukee, 4.8 inches of snowfall had accumulated by 6 p.m. Friday.
Other parts of the state received upwards of 11 inches, including Waukesha and Elkhorn.
In Iowa, blizzard conditions were expected to continue into today, the National Weather Service in Des Moines said.
As of 5 p.m. Friday, Des Moines and Ames had about 8 inches of snow and Ottumwa had more about 10 inches.
59d ago / 11:12 AM UTC
Man dies after truck goes through ice on Minnesota lake
An 80-year-old man died this morning in Minnesota when his truck went through the ice on Mille Lacs Lake, the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office said.
A 911 caller said he saw an area on the lake where the truck had gone through the ice and found an adult male in the water nearby wearing a floatation device, officials said. The caller said he was able to recover the man and bring him to shore.
The man, who has been identified as Richard Francis Gadbois of Isle, Minnesota, was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Mille Lacs Lake is about 100 miles north of Minneapolis.
59d ago / 11:12 AM UTC
Iowa winter blast complicates last-minute campaign stops
DES MOINES, Iowa — The candidates are barnstorming Iowa in a last-ditch effort to campaign before the critical caucuses Monday.
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