Detroit, MI – Stories, videos and updates from the winter storm crawling across the U.S. with Michigan in its path.
200 million across the U.S. under winter storm warning
This is a massive winter storm stretching across the U.S. and Canada. NBC News reports 200 million Americans are under a winter storm warning today, and power outages have already hit 1 million homes. U.S. cities are bracing for record low temperatures today and “bomb cyclone” winds gusting at over 45 MPH.
- PowerOutage.us reports more than 1 million power outages across the country, though just 10,000 in the Great Lakes region as of 11 a.m. on Friday.
- Texans are nervously watching their power grid after wide scale power outages in 2021. State officials promises fixes have been made to avoid a similar crisis this year. KPRC in Houston explains how you can monitor the Texas power grid in real-time.
- Bad news for anyone waiting on a last-minute package. FedEx is reporting “substantial disruptions” due to the severe weather. Packages guaranteed for Dec. 23 or 24 delivery may be delayed.
Karen Drew: I’m stuck at Detroit Metro Airport (for now)
Local 4′s Karen Drew is trying to fly to Florida to meet her family. She’s grounded at DTW with thousands of holiday travelers. Across the U.S., FlightAware has counted 7,086 cancellations so far.
Florida warns about falling iguanas
Even Florida is prepping for the sprawling winter storm, which is expected to bring freezing temperatures to the Sunshine State. That’s bad news for iguanas, which lose muscle control in the cold and can fall from trees.
Avoid travel today, if you can
Travel at your own risk today -- though we are still hoping and relying on most of you to avoid travel on this Friday before Christmas. The Winter Storm Warning continues all day today and won’t expire until 4 a.m. Saturday writes Local 4 Meteorologist Brandon Roux.
The biggest problem with travel today will be blowing snow, which will reduce visibility and make it hard to see cars ahead of you or from any direction. If you don’t have options other than to travel today, plan on plenty of extra time and gear in case you run into trouble.
- Multiple crashes closed I-94 in western Michigan this morning, MLive reports
Looking ahead to Christmas Eve
Meteorologist Paul Gross’s storm timeline: “While there may be a few lake effect snow bands still in place, they should start diminishing as the day progresses. By Christmas Eve, I don’t think there will be much snow still falling in the area, although wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph means that there still will be blowing and drifting snow. The road crews should have made some progress on the main roads by then, but I don’t know that the neighborhood streets will be plowed by then.”
Firefighters battle blaze in freezing conditions
Hovercraft used to rescue trapped swan
Here’s a heart-warming story on a cold morning. Oakland County official used a hovercraft to rescue an injured swan stuck on a frozen Voorheis Lake on Thursday.
Your photos
Share your photos from the winter storm here.