Some Cold Takes on the Recent Cold Snap and Winter Storm
For us in the upper Midwest, it was brutally cold. But the entire nation is going through winter storms and weather hardships with several records set. Check out some of these stats from around the country:
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- Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, "This will be probably more snow over a larger swath of land to a higher degree than ever before in Texas history."
- According to the National Weather Service, at least 150 million people in the U.S. were experiencing winter weather or ice advisories.
- The storm left at least five million without electricity and planned rolling blackouts are expected due to unusually high demand across the Midwest.
- There is snow on the beaches of Galveston, TX.
- Gas prices are rising sharply due to unrest in the middle east and the arctic blast. Oil prices shot up to $60 per barrel, something not seen since the beginning of the pandemic.
- Spot prices for electricity on Monday jumped a ridiculous 3,466% from Friday.
- Parts of Texas were actually colder than Alaska. Dallas hit 5 degrees while Anchorage settled for 18 degrees on the same day.
- About 800 daily records for cold temperatures were set in the last week, according to Bloomberg.
- Half of the Southern Midwest wind turbines refused to churn electricity because freezing rain locked the blades in place.
- At least 15 people have died in weather-related vehicle accidents since the cold temperatures set in, according to CNN.
- CNN Meteorologist Tyler Mauldin said, ""I'm almost certain that we are slowly watching one of the first billion-dollar weather disasters of 2021 unfold."
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is comparing this system to the historical cold snaps of 1899 and 1905.
- In North Platte, Nebraska, a century-old record was broken by hitting -29 below zero.
These unbelievable stats are a good reminder to have a winter plan that includes food, an alternate source of heat, and perhaps a generator. Candles and a board game for the kids are also a good idea.
With that, spring is 32 days away - and it couldn't come soon enough.
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