Wintry 'polar plunge' wallops much of US

An "unprecedented" winter storm system will sweep the United States this week, the National Weather Service warned Monday, with Arctic air driving a "polar plunge" that is expected to break record-low temperatures.

The coast-to-coast cold front has already pushed its way across Canada and into parts of northern Mexico, and much of the continental United States has been shivering under chilly temperatures for days, with about half of all Americans now under some sort of winter weather warning.

Temperatures have dropped across the country, with only parts of the southeast and southwest dodging it.

The cold snap has led to heavy snowfalls and ice storms that have caused a spike in electricity demand and power outages. 

Ice on the roads was blamed for several deadly accidents including a 100-car pile-up in Texas last week that left at least six people dead. 

"Over 150 million Americans are currently under winter storm warnings, ice storm warnings, winter storm watches, or winter weather advisories as impactful winter weather continues from coast to coast," the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

"This impressive onslaught of wicked wintry weather across much of the Lower 48 (states) is due to the combination of strong Arctic high pressure supplying sub-freezing temperatures and an active storm track escorting waves of precipitation."

At least seven states -- Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas -- have declared weather-related emergencies, CNN reported. 

The NWS described conditions as an "unprecedented and expansive area of hazardous winter weather" that will set record lows.

"Hundreds of daily low maximum and minimum temperatures have been/will be broken during this prolonged 'polar plunge', with some February and even all-time low temperature records in jeopardy," the NWS said.

In a large area known as the Southern Plains that spans parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, temperatures are expected to fall as much as 45 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius) below typical readings for the time of year. 

Florida will remain the warmest spot in the continental United States, with highs above normal and temperatures generally around 80 Fahrenheit (27 Celsius).

Agence France-Presse

Nearly 150 million people sweltering through deadly US heat wave

WASHINGTON -- The United States was sweating through a weekend of dangerously hot weather, with major cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington experiencing temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

An oppressive heat wave stretching from the Midwestern plains to the Atlantic coast had nearly 150 million people struggling to stay cool amid scorching temperatures.

Heat index values -- combining the effect of heat and humidity -- could reach 110 to 115 degrees, particularly in the east, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

It warned that "dangerously high temperatures and humidity could quickly cause heat stress or heat stroke if precautions are not taken."

The heat was expected to continue through late Sunday as a high-pressure system off the Atlantic coast ushered in steamy, subtropical air.

People were being urged to stay hydrated, watch out for the sick and the elderly, stay inside as much as possible and not leave children or animals in cars.

The heat wave already claimed at least three lives, including two earlier in the week in the eastern state of Maryland. 

In Arkansas, former NFL player Mitch Petrus died Thursday after working outside his family's shop. The 32-year-old died of heat stroke, the Pulaski County coroner was quoted as saying in US media.

Heat warnings have also been issued for parts of eastern Canada.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a heat emergency. 

The New York City Triathlon, which had been scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled for the first time since its founding in 2001. 

The estimated 4,000 participants, many of whom had traveled long distances to race, will receive full refunds of entry fees of up to $399, organizers said.

The two-day OZY Fest, a food, comedy and music festival set for Central Park this weekend, was also called off. 

In Washington, a popular outdoor jazz concert at the National Galley of Art was cancelled.

'Serious, serious stuff'

New York City opened 500 cooling centers for residents.

"Saturday is going to be really, really bad, on through Sunday," de Blasio said in a warning to the city. "This is serious, serious stuff."

At least three public defenders said on Twitter that inmates in New York's notorious Rikers Island jail complex were suffering with no air conditioning, and that some guards had turned off fans as punishment, resulting in "deadly conditions." 

The Brooklyn Defender Services legal aid group said some inmates didn't have summer clothing, only long underwear provided by the group last winter.

Top officials from the city's Department of Corrections were at the facility monitoring the response to the heat wave to "protect health and safety of everyone in the facility," De Blasio wrote on Twitter. 

The department said in a statment to AFP that extra staff were on hand to distribute summer clothing, and clinics were open around the clock to treat heat-related symptoms. 

Those in units without air conditioning were given access to fans, ice, water and "multiple cool showers."

The city's electrical grid was so far handling the extra demand, which came just a week after a major outage, blamed on mechanical problems, left tens of thousands of Manhattan residents in the dark. 

In Washington, the morning low of 81 degrees was just one degree below the record set in 2015, with "a good chance to hit 100 today for the first time since 2016," The Washington Post reported.

Triple-digit temperatures in the US Northeast are unusual. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer suggested, tongue in cheek, that locals might want to seek relief in normally sweltering Miami or Phoenix, which would be up to 25 degrees cooler. 

Philadelphia looked likely to set a new record for the hottest July 20 since 1930.

In Boston, where the weather service said that Saturday and Sunday would be "major scorchers," city officials scrapped entry fees at public pools. 

In the far northwest, temperatures soared earlier this month in the state of Alaska, which straddles the Arctic Circle, with largest city Anchorage hitting an all-time high of 90 degrees.

Earlier in the week, the National Weather Service office in the Midwestern city of Omaha baked a tray of biscuits -- savory breakfast bread similar to scones -- on the dashboard of a parked car. After nearly eight hours and with temperatures on the pan reaching 185 degrees, the pastries were almost fully cooked.

Climate data showed June was the hottest month on record worldwide, with a heat wave across Europe smashing national records.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Storm lashing US Northeast kills at least five people

BOSTON - A powerful storm lashing the northeastern United States on Friday killed at least five people as winds topping 129 kms per hour helped flood streets in Boston, ground flights and halt train service across the region.

Almost 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power in the Northeast and Midwest as the storm pummeled the East Coast from Virginia to Maine. Government offices in Washington closed as winds gusted to more than 96 kph in the US capital.

A flood surge at extreme high tide sent seawater into Boston's coastal streets, the second time this year that the area had flooded. Wind gusts approaching 70 mph (113 kph) helped force in the water while downing trees and power lines.

The high water receded in the afternoon, but the National Weather Service said Boston could face renewed flooding with a near-record high tide forecast around midnight on Friday.

"That one still looks like it's going to be on target for at least moderate coastal flooding, which means we're going to see some problems in Boston," said Jim Hayes, a meteorologist with the agency's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Snow and rain are forecast to taper off through Friday night and into Saturday as skies clear, Hayes said, adding that winds are also expected to drop somewhat overnight and into Saturday as the offshore storm system recedes.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency, streamlining state aid to communities harmed by high winds.

The storm packed a deadly punch, with a falling tree killing a man in his 70s in Newport, Rhode Island, a police spokesperson said.

In Putnam Valley, New York, an 11-year-old boy was killed when a tree crashed into his home, WPIX television reported, citing Putnam County sheriff's deputies. A spokesman for the sheriff's department could not be reached for comment.

A 44-year-old male passenger in a truck was killed in James City County, Virginia, when an oak tree toppled onto the vehicle, police said in a statement.

In Chesterfield County, Virginia, a tree fell onto a home and struck a sleeping 6-year-old boy, the county said in a statement. The child died of his injuries at a hospital.

Outside Baltimore, a 77-year-old woman was struck by a falling tree branch at her home near Kingsville, Maryland, a Baltimore County Fire Department spokesperson said.

Private forecasting service AccuWeather said the storm dumped as much as 46 cms of snow on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania.

It also snarled transportation from the Middle Atlantic into New England, with more than a quarter of flights into and out of New York's three major airports and Boston's airport canceled, according to tracking service FlightAware.com.

One flight landing at Washington's Dulles International Airport came in through turbulence so rough that most passengers became sick and the pilots were on the verge of becoming ill, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Passenger railroad Amtrak halted service between Boston and Washington through Friday, and said it was suspending southbound service out of the US capital until at least Saturday morning because of downed trees on the track.

Hayes said top wind speeds had been clocked at 134 kph in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and reached 125 kph at Etlan, Virginia.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

California mudslides demolish homes, eight deaths reported

LOS ANGELES - Mudslides unleashed by a ferocious storm demolished homes in southern California, authorities said Tuesday. Eight people were reported killed.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBCFD) said the bodies were discovered in mud and debris during rescue operations in Montecito, northwest of Los Angeles, according to various reports.

The fire and sheriff's departments weren't immediately available to confirm the deaths, but a further 25 people were reported injured.

The SBCFD said on its Twitter feed it was using dogs to look for victims where multiple homes once stood in Montecito following heavy rain.

The department posted pictures of neighborhoods submerged in mud and roads rendered impassable by fallen trees.

"Firefighters successfully rescued a 14-yr-old girl after she was trapped for hours inside a destroyed home in Montecito," it added.

Roads were clogged throughout the region with mud flows shutting down more than 30 miles (50 kilometers) of the 101 Freeway and knocking a number of homes from their foundations.

Pounding rain weakened south-facing slopes above Montecito and flooded a creek, sending mud and huge rocks rolling into housing areas.

Emergency responders received numerous unconfirmed missing-person reports, the fire department told the Los Angeles Times.

The highest rainfall total was recorded at five inches (13 centimeters) in Ventura County, according to the National Weather Service Los Angeles.

Much of the affected area is land scorched by the massive Thomas fire last month, where there is no vegetation to soak up the excess water.

About 275 traffic crashes were logged in the California Highway Patrol's jurisdiction in Los Angeles County during the morning commute -- compared with just 30 reported collisions during the same period on Tuesday last week.

A evacuation order was issued in a section of the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, which was hit by a mudslide that pulled cars out of driveways and carried them downstream.

The slide also caused a "significant" gas leak, and repair efforts left homes on the street with no gas, electricity or water.

"There were many homes, about 40 to 45 homes, affected by it, a couple homes damaged," Burbank Fire Department Battalion Chief John Owings told local TV news channel KCAL9.

"We performed two physical rescues at approximately 7 o'clock this morning."

At Los Angeles International Airport, flooding forced the closure of the customs area in Terminal 2.

Forecasters warned that while the rain had appeared to subside by late morning, more showers and isolated thunderstorms were expected through the evening, with periods of very heavy rain.

The storm came after a 10-month dry spell in the area following torrential rains in January and February of last year. In 2017, downtown Los Angeles experienced its driest March 1 through December 31 since 1878, with only 0.69 of an inch of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.

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Thousands in California flee homes ahead of possible mudslides

Thousands of Southern Californians fled their homes on Monday as a powerful rain storm that could cause flash floods and trigger mudslides soaked steep slopes where a series of intense wildfires burned off vegetation last month.

Heavy downpours that could produce more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) of rain per hour were expected through Tuesday evening, forcing officials to order or advise Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles county residents who live near where wildfires burned to evacuated their homes.

"Recent burn areas will be especially vulnerable where dangerous mud and debris flows are possible," the National Weather Service said in a statement.

Several December wildfires, included a blaze known as the Thomas Fire which was the largest in the state's history, burned away vegetation that holds the soil in place and baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

About 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders or advisories on Monday, ABC news reported.

"I’m just tired. I can’t seem to get my life kick-started," Teri Lebow, whose Montecito, California was damaged by the wildfires, told the Los Angeles Times.

The storm system was expected to produce 4 inches to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm) in the foothills and mountains with 9 inches (23 cm) in isolated areas. Three inches (7 cm) to two feet (61 cm) of snow was also forecast for higher elevations, the National Weather Service said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

California's Death Valley heat to reach a searing 127 F

LOS ANGELES - In Death Valley in eastern California and in the town of Needles near the Arizona border, temperatures are expected to reach 127 degrees Fahrenheit (53 Celsius) this week, National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Fisher said on Monday.

The extreme heat, brought on by a high-pressure system camped over the Four Corners region, has already boosted temperatures above normal across much of the Southwest, with the worst forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The heat wave was expected to push temperatures even higher by mid-week, taxing power grids and prompting airlines to warn that flights could be disrupted.

Fisher said the sweltering weather could break records in some areas but was part of a cyclical pattern and not brought on by climate change or any other unusual phenomenon.

"It's not unprecedented at all, things oscillate around," he said. "We've had a fairly cool spring, had 'May Gray' and 'June Gloom', this our first real warmth of the season."

Temperatures were expected to drop by five to 10 degrees F (about 2.5 C to 5 C) later in the week but in the meantime the National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and advisories across the Southwest. Even in typically cooler San Francisco, residents baked in sultry 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 C).

The National Park Service in Death Valley, known as the hottest place in America, cautioned tourists about the "EXTREME SUMMER HEAT" in a warning on its website.

"Expect high temperatures of 100°F to over 120°F (38°C to over 49°C). Drink plenty of water and carry extra. Avoid hiking (after 10 am). Travel prepared to survive. In the case of a heat related illness, get to a cool place and seek help ASAP!" the park service said.

"Temperatures like this happen less than once per year on avg. High risk of heat illness if doing strenuous activity outdoors," the Phoenix office of the National Weather Service said in a tweet on Monday morning.

There were no reports of severe heat-related illnesses as of Monday afternoon. Power grid operators and utility companies urged customers to conserve electricity at peak times to avoid the possibility of blackouts.

American Airlines advised passengers flying in or out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport that the intense heat, which can affect the operation of jet airline engines, could cause flight delays or cancellations.

The airline said that Phoenix passengers with flights scheduled to arrive or depart between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time would be allowed to change their travel plans without incurring additional fees.

A study in the journal Nature Climate Change published on Monday said that the number of extreme heat waves was expected to climb to affect half of the Earth's population by the year 2100 (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Magnitude 6.5 earthquake reported off coast of northern California: USGS

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 was reported off the coast of Northern California on Thursday but there were no immediate reports of damage in the nearest town, officials said.

The quake was centered about 102 miles (165 kilometers) in the Pacific Ocean west of Ferndale, California, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There was no tsunami warning, advisory or threat in effect following the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Weather Service said on its website.

In Ferndale, which has a population of about 1,300 people, Mayor Don Hindley said in a phone interview that he had not heard of any damage from the quake. He said he felt the temblor for about 15 seconds.

"It wasn’t that bad at all," Hindley said.

In the San Francisco Bay area, about 250 miles (402 km) south of Ferndale, the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency said on Twitter it was running its system with a 10-minute delay and with trains traveling at reduced speeds due to the quake. The move was a standard precaution by BART.

The quake was first reported with a 6.9 magnitude but downgraded to 6.5.

Some social media users said they felt the tremor in San Francisco, about 260 miles (418.43 km) south.

"That was a big one," wrote Twitter user Antonis Papatsaras from the Bay Area city.

"Felt 20 seconds of very light shaking," tweeted another San Francisco resident, Lila LaHodd.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Christmas Day cleanup after storms kill 14 in US

CHICAGO, United States - Rescue workers and heartbroken residents on Friday sifted through what was left of homes wiped out by several ferocious storms and tornadoes that killed at least 14 people in southeastern United States.

The storms, feeding on unseasonably warm air, left a trail of destruction in rural communities from Alabama to Illinois, just as Christmas reached its crescendo.

More than a dozen tornadoes were reported in six states, with the southern states of Mississippi and Alabama hardest hit. Seven people were confirmed dead there and another 60 injured, with one person missing, said the Mississippi emergency management agency.

"We are experiencing some flash flooding today, with storms coming through right now in five counties. And damage assessments are still ongoing," the emergency agency's Brett Carr told AFP.

Among the Mississippi dead was a seven-year-old boy who was killed when a storm picked up and tossed the car he was travelling in, fire chief Kenny Holbrook told reporters in the town of Holly Springs, where thousands greeted Christmas Day without power.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency in seven counties after the storms caused widespread damage.

Governor Robert Bentley also declared a state of emergency across Alabama on Friday to deal with the effects of the storm.

Hours after the declaration, a tornado touched down in Birmingham, Alabama, the state's most populous city, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs and injuring three people, local media reported.

Six fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee, including three people found dead Thursday in a car submerged in a creek, according to the fire department in Columbia, Tennessee.

Another person was killed in Arkansas.

Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency in counties affected by the severe weather.

- Cleanup volunteers wanted –
Debris from ravaged buildings and other structures littered roads, making them impassable in parts of the southeast.

Officials across the affected region were inviting volunteers to help clean up or make donations as people who fled returned to their homes to see what, if anything, was still standing.

Television footage and pictures posted on social media showed homes flattened across the affected states, with possessions and Christmas presents strewn on the ground or left in a messy heap.

Power lines, trees and mobile phone towers were also toppled.

Therese Apel, a reporter at Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger newspaper, spoke with a north Mississippi family hard hit by the violent weather.

"The Wilkins family lost everything, but they told me, 'It's still Christmas. It's about family and being grateful,'" Apel posted on Twitter.

The worst appeared to be over, but forecasters at the National Weather Service warned severe weather was possible in several states including Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma. Flash floods in the US southeast were also a possibility.

The East Coast meanwhile was enjoying unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures in New York's iconic Central Park peaking at 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius) Thursday, the warmest Christmas Eve since records began in 1871.

The location set a Christmas Day record with temperatures reaching 66 degrees (19 Celsius) on Friday.

Atlanta, Georgia was also expected to set a record with temperatures reaching 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 Celsius).

The opposite was happening in other areas of the country.

"Ho Ho Ho! Vegas got snow!" reported the National Weather Service before dawn Friday, saying the trace of white tied the record set in 1941 for Christmas Day snow in normally balmier Las Vegas. That record was also tied in 1988 and 2008.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Record-setting rains submerge parts of US Southeast

CHARLESTON, United States - Record rainfall left large areas of the US southeast under water Sunday as roads were closed and residents were warned to stay indoors.

The states of North and South Carolina have been particularly hard hit by heavy flooding, but the driving rain in recent days has spared almost none of the US East Coast.

The wild weather was blamed for at least four deaths in the Carolinas since Thursday.

The storms are part of a weather system separate from Hurricane Joaquin, which was downgraded to a Category Two storm as it headed toward Bermuda.

"We haven't seen this level of rain in the low country in 1,000 years," South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said at a press briefing, urging people to stay inside to keep safe.

"This is not something to be out taking pictures of. This is not something that you want your kids playing in. The water is not safe.

"And a lot of areas across the state where you see this deep water, it's got bacteria in it. So stay inside and don't get in there," she stressed.

"This is an incident we've never had before."

President Barack Obama has issued an emergency declaration for the state, ordering federal aid for areas affected by flooding.

Historic Charleston submerged

Streets were submerged in the historic old town of Charleston, South Carolina, as non-stop rain battered the city, with flooding closing restaurants and bars.

"Right now, we are in life-saving mode," said Lieutenant Colonel Cindi King, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina National Guard.

"We are just focusing on helping our citizens."

The National Weather Service said the city had seen 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain over the past three days, beating a previous record of 12 inches in 1973.

"It's the worst water I have seen in the 10 years I have lived here. Neighbors tell me it's the worst since Hurricane Hugo" in 1989, said 38-year-old Jamieson Clair, a resident of the city.

In hard-hit Columbia, the mayor ordered a curfew for the city from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.

The Red Cross has opened 26 shelters across the state.

The University of South Carolina, based in Columbia, canceled all Monday classes.

More than 200 swift-water rescues have been reported since Saturday night, while the state's Department of Transportation said at least 211 state roads and 43 bridges were closed due to flooding.

The National Weather Service warned of "potentially historic and life-threatening flooding" across the southeastern United States.

Bermuda under threat

Forecasters said Joaquin now is closing in on tiny Bermuda, with a population of just 66,000, where the potential damage could rival what was seen in the Bahamas.

The storm still has winds of 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour, and is dumping heavy rain.

In the Bahamas, a low-lying archipelago, residents surveyed the damage after Joaquin destroyed homes and left some without power or phone services.

The Bahamas is home to 385,000 people and visited by far more tourists every year -- about 1.3 million.

Search for cargo ship

Rescuers were still frantically searching for the El Faro cargo vessel, with which contact was lost early Thursday as the dangerous weather system approached the Bahamas.

Coast Guard troops turned up "a number of different objects in the water" via an aerial search but were unable to confirm whether they were from the vessel.

"We found a few life rings, life jackets and there's been a report of possible oil sheen," Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss told AFP.

"We have boats in the water... they will be able to get to some of that stuff soon" he said, adding that it was "the first day of good weather and the seas are down one or two feet (one-third to one meter)."

Tim Nolan, president of the company that owns the El Faro, said it had sent its only other ship plus a tugboat in search of the missing vessel and had recovered "a container, which appears to be from the El Faro, and observed what appears to be an oil sheen."

En route from Florida to Puerto Rico, the 735-foot cargo ship was reported to be caught in the storm near Crooked Island, part of the Bahamas island chain.

It was from there that it sent a satellite notification stating the ship had lost propulsion and had a 15-degree list.

Twenty-eight Americans and five Poles were on board.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US Northeast hit by blizzards, cold, after record snow

BOSTON - The U.S. Northeast struggled to dig out from the latest in a series of winter storms that made February the snowiest month in Boston's history, while Kentucky and Indiana braced for heavy snow on Sunday night and Monday.

Blizzard conditions forced the cancellation of more than 1,800 U.S. airline flights on Sunday, most of them into and out of airports in Boston and New York, where wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour (97 kph) were predicted.

A woman in New Jersey was found frozen to death in the snow near her home on Sunday morning. In the Midwest, snow around Lake Michigan caused a three-dozen-car pileup on a major Chicago expressway, sending 12 people to the hospital for injuries.

Temperatures are 25 to 30 degrees (14 to 17 degrees Celsius) below normal for the East Coast, exacerbated by strong winds, said meteorologist Bruce Sullivan of the National Weather Service.

The temperature at 1 p.m. in Boston was around 18 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 8 Celsius), but felt like zero (minus 18 Celsius) thanks to wind chill. By Monday morning, it was likely to feel like minus 20 (minus 29 Celsius), the NWS said.

The latest storm heaped disappointment on retailers who were relying on the Presidents' Day weekend and Valentine's Day to make up for subpar sales during the last three lashings of snow.

Massive snowfall from Boston's fourth major snowstorm in two weeks set a record for the city's snowiest month since weather records were kept, the NWS said.

Boston had seen about 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow since late January and had already set a record for accumulations in a single week. Bitter cold and huge drifts hampered snow removal efforts.

"Hopefully, it will stop eventually," Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said on Sunday, pleading with drivers to stay off dangerous roads.

KENTUCKY, INDIANA BRACE FOR SNOW

While the Northeast dug out, Kentucky and southern Indiana were bracing for a storm.

"A significant winter storm with snowfall totals potentially in the double digits ... will impact southern Indiana and central Kentucky" Sunday night and Monday, the National Weather Service said, forecasting 10-15 inches across portions of south central Kentucky.

Still, nothing compared with Massachusetts, where 20 inches (50 cm) fell on the coastal town of Ipswich on Sunday and relentless winds were expected to pile up dangerous drifts of the lightweight snow

In Boston restaurants sought to coax customers out of hibernation for a meal or drink on Sunday evening, when the snow was expected to let up. One South Boston eatery added the hashtag "#cabinfever" to its Twitter messages.

"You don't want to stay penned up all day," said Allie Needham, 26, a business analyst at a chemical company, as she walked along an empty street in Cambridge on her way to meet friends for breakfast.

With all public transportation suspended in Boston on Sunday, Bostonians got creative. In the Back Bay neighborhood, a snowboarder hitched a ride from a snowmobile. One resident on Twitter said it was about time for an entrepreneur to start up a dog sled service.

Across the state, about 600 members of the National Guard were helping out during the blizzard, said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

Conditions were so bad in New Hampshire that the town of Alton called off its annual ice carnival this weekend.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New York defends storm shutdown

NEW YORK, United States - New York authorities on Tuesday vigorously defended a decision to shut down America's biggest city for a storm that skirted the Big Apple, dumping the worst snow on Long Island and New England.

Travel bans were lifted, public transport resumed and parks reopened in the city of eight million people, easing many of the measures put in place as Winter Storm Juno moved in on Monday.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city got only a fraction of the two feet (60 centimeters) of snow that had been widely predicted in the 48 hours leading up to the storm.

Nevertheless UN headquarters, schools, museums and numerous shops and restaurants remained closed Tuesday.

The National Weather Service warned that life-threatening conditions persisted along the coast from Long Island into Connecticut and Massachusetts, where more than two feet of snow blanketed some areas.

"You plan the best you can and you lean toward safety," New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference under a barrage of questioning.

He conceded there were likely to be "some" loss of business, but said he had no estimates.

"It may actually have brought us back to full operating capacity sooner but I do not criticize weather forecasters. I learn," Cuomo said.

The clean-up is expected to continue until Wednesday, when schools will reopen, and city and state employees will return to work.

Broadway theaters announced that most shows would go ahead Tuesday as planned, after the Great White Way went dark Monday.

A 'no-brainer'

De Blasio, who repeatedly warned before the storm struck that it was likely to be one of the worst in the city's history, fended off accusations that he had been needlessly alarmist.

"To me, it was a no-brainer. We had to take precautions to keep people safe. God forbid this storm had not moved east, we would then have been hit," he said.

Had travel not been banned, city residents would have been in possible mortal danger, and any economic impact would have been far more negative had there been more destruction, he said.

"We are going to be very forceful in our messages to people when we sense danger. This is what you saw in the last 48 hours," De Blasio said.

On the streets of Manhattan, there were mixed feelings about whether the authorities had over-reacted.

"This is a mere dusting and I've been here for my whole life, with a little bit in London, and this is ridiculous, when they call it a storm," said financial consultant Curtis Brill.

Jennifer Daly, who comes from New Orleans but works on New York's Fifth Avenue, took it in stride, saying she was used to similar hype about hurricanes that do not always turn out as severe as warned.

"People do have to be cautious and ice and driving do not mix, so it's better to take precautions and not have accidents," she said.

Air travel disrupted

In the end, snowfall varied throughout the New York area, with some parts of the city receiving as little as four inches -- far short of the city's record 26.9 inches in February 2006.

Long Island was however still being hard hit with up to 20 inches of snow, and easternmost Suffolk County continues to see blizzard-like conditions and face "serious issues," Cuomo said.

County police confirmed that a teenage boy died late Monday in a sledding accident.

Cuomo lifted the travel ban, which was imposed at 11:00 pm Monday, at 8:00 am (1300 GMT). Limited service on city rail and subway lines resumed an hour later.

Service was expected to be back to normal by Wednesday.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also lifted the travel ban in his state, but officials in both states nevertheless warned against all but essential travel.

Driving bans were still in effect in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Flight disruptions are still extensive. Around 5,250 flights within, to and from the United States have been cancelled for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to flightaware.com.

Officials said virtually all flights at New York's LaGuardia airport were cancelled Tuesday as well as most at Newark and John F. Kennedy international airports.

In Boston, 85 percent of flights were cancelled, said flightaware.com.

Thousands were without power along the coast of Massachusetts, including on Nantucket Island, where some were evacuated from their homes, local media reported.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

First blizzard of 2015 pounds East Coast

JERSEY CITY, NJ - Jersey City residents woke up to piles and piles of snow after winter storm Juno pounded the North East Coast.

Heavy snow and ice accumulated overnight.

In Jersey City's Little Manila, a couple of Filipinos rushed to remove about eight inches of snow before their rooftop gave way.

Residents spent their morning cleaning up winter storm Juno's mess.

But the conditions were not as bad as predicted at least in Jersey City and in nearby New York City.

"We did what was necessary to keep people safe. By the way, by getting everyone off the road, the sanitation department could get out there, and now we'll get back to normal much more quickly," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Blizzard warnings and statewide travels bans that went into effect at 11 p.m. Monday night have been lifted.

The National Weather Service said the forecasted scenario of 30 inches of snow fizzled out as the storm passed further east than anticipated.

Pinoy postal worker Freddie Templo said, "Ok yung state preparedness nila na may maaga silang warning, cautions for safety."

Nevertheless, it's still a snow day for many residents including Filipino store clerk Ramon Lagasca.

"Walang pasok ngayon at saka bukas, tatawag lang kami kung anong oras kami magsisimula bukas, so hindi namin alam bukas kung paano," Ramon Lagasca said.

Businesses were affected as people heeded warnings to stay home.

Store worker Herman Bebita said, "Maraming tao dapat. Gawa ng weather na di maganda, walang lumalabas dahil sa taas ng yelo o sa sama ng panahon."

But the brunt of the monster storm fell in Massachusetts.

Thousands are without power. The storm is expected to move out late Tuesday night.

Thanks to the travel ban, plows worked overnight to make streets passable and public transportation up to speed.

Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Northeast US braves 'crippling' blizzard, transit systems shut

NEW YORK/MAPLEWOOD, N.J. - A massive, wind-whipped blizzard slammed into the U.S. Northeast on Monday, creating havoc for more than 60 million people and forcing New York City to shut down on a scale not seen since Superstorm Sandy devastated the region in 2012.

The potentially historic storm which could affect 20 percent of the U.S. population, caused at least six states up and down the East Coast to declare emergencies, forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed schools and major mass transit systems - including the New York City subway.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the "life-threatening blizzard" could dump a "crippling snowfall" of as much as 3 feet (90 cm) on the region.

Coastal flood warnings were issued, with tides in the New York metro area expected to be as much 3 feet higher than normal early Tuesday morning.

DRIVING PROHIBITED; BRIDGES, TUNNELS CLOSE

Driving bans in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts brought the region to a standstill amid near white-out conditions, with the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln and Holland tunnels as well as major mass transportation throughout the city closing at 11 p.m ET (0400 GMT).

States of emergency were declared in New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and New York, where Governor Andrew Cuomo urged people to stay indoors.

Cuomo announced a travel ban for all but emergency vehicles on every road in 13 counties in southern New York state, including New York City, suburban Westchester and Long Island, with the threat of a $300 fine for violators.

"If you are in your car and you are on any road, town, village, city, it doesn't matter, after 11 o'clock, you will technically be committing a crime," Cuomo said. "It could be a matter of life and death so caution is required."

Before roads closed, Uber, the app-based ride-hailing service that has been criticized for jacking up prices at times of high demand, told New York City customers it would charge no more than 2.8 times the usual fare for trips during the snowstorm.

Earlier, as mass transit began curtailing service, Wall Street traders rushed home or hunkered down in hotels. Exchanges, however, remained open.

The storm also poses the latest challenge to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been under fire in recent weeks from police who criticized his support of public protests about white police violence against black men. In the last major storm de Blasio was vilified for keeping schools open.

The NWS issued a blizzard warning from New Jersey to Maine, with conditions worsening overnight and wind gusting to over 50 mph (80 kph) in the New York City area.

With Boston expected to bear the brunt of the storm with near hurricane force winds predicted on Tuesday, Mayor Martin Walsh urged residents to report homeless people who need shelter, check on elderly neighbors and stay inside for the duration of the blizzard.

Retailers ran short of everything from shovels and snowblowers to basic groceries. At a Shaw's Supermarket in Somerville, Massachusetts, canned food shelves were thinned and checkout lines long. In Brooklyn, grocery store shelves were stripped of bread and bottled water.

"I've been to three or four stores and I can't get any milk or eggs," said Marcy Rivers, waiting in the snow for a bus in Bridgeport, Connecticut. "I don't know what we are going to do now."

SUBWAY SHUTDOWN
The brutal weather paralyzed the New York City metropolitan area, with a shutdown of all subway, bus and commuter rail service on Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road. It was the first time the city subway system was halted because of snow.

New Jersey Transit said on its website it halted commuter trains and buses late on Monday and would not resume service until "conditions permit."

Amtrak suspended service on Tuesday between New York and Boston, and into New York state, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine.

Vacationers and business travelers faced headaches as airlines canceled around 3,000 U.S. flights, with Boston and New York airports most heavily affected, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. New York authorities also said "virtually all" flights at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday will be canceled and cancellations at John F. Kennedy International Airport will be "significant."

SCHOOLS CLOSED

The blizzard knocked out entertainment events including Monday night Broadway performances and home games for the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets and shut New York City's zoos, where snow leopards, puffins and polar bears frolicked in privacy.

The United Nations headquarters gave itself a day off on Tuesday. East Coast schools, including New York City with the nation's largest public school system serving 1 million students, and universities, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, canceled classes for Tuesday.

"The beauty of this snowstorm is I have midterms this week," said Oliver Stoller, 13, after his school in Maplewood, New Jersey, was canceled for Tuesday and he spent Monday night turning his neighborhood sidewalk into a sledding path.

The biggest snowfall on record in New York City came during the storm of Feb. 11-12, 2006, dropping 26.9 inches (68 cm), according to the city's Office of Emergency Management.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US East Coast braces for 'historic' blizzard on Monday

A swath of the U.S. East Coast from Philadelphia to New York City to Maine was bracing for a potentially historic blizzard on Monday that is expected to dump as much as 3 feet (90 cm) of snow and snarl transportation for tens of millions of people.

The National Weather Service on Sunday issued a blizzard warning for the northern section of the East Coast from Monday afternoon until Tuesday, placing states from New Jersey to Indiana under winter storm watches and advisories. Airlines were already canceling hundreds of flights ahead of the storm.

"This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference, saying snowfall could reach up to 3 feet.

De Blasio told residents of America's financial capital and most populous city to stay off the roads and to "prepare for something worse than we have seen before."

The biggest snowfall on record in New York City was the storm of Feb. 11-12, 2006, that dropped 26.9 inches (68 cm), according to the city's Office of Emergency Management.

The NWS called the approaching system a "crippling and potentially historic blizzard," with many areas along the East Coast expected to see between 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) of snow. The New York City area could be the hardest hit from the storm with lashing winds and snowfall of 30 inches (76 cm) or more in some suburbs.

Delta said on Sunday it was canceling 600 flights because of the blizzard warning for the East Coast. Southwest Airlines said it had canceled about 20 flights and American Airlines had so far canceled a handful.

Cities along the heavily populated East Coast had snowplows and trucks to dispense road salt on standby. Stores have seen a rush of shoppers stocking up on essentials.

"People have been coming in since this morning, buying rock salt and shovels," said Michael Harris, who works at Ace Hardware in Wading River, New York.

The Philadelphia Streets Department said on its Facebook page that crews were preparing for a "messy Monday morning commute." The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation told travelers to postpone travel if necessary and carry emergency kits if they do go out.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation will have its entire fleet of snowplows, including 12 loader-mounted snowblowers, prepared to deploy, the governor's office said.

The NWS expects as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of snow for western Maryland and southern Pennsylvania, while parts of New Jersey through eastern Massachusetts may get 6 to 12 inches (15-30 cm) of snow by Tuesday morning.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Strongest storm in years batters California

SAN FRANCISCO - About 150,000 people were left struggling for power on Thursday as the strongest storm to lash the US West Coast in several years blew in snow, heavy rain and ferocious winds.

Winds gusting up to 230 kilometers (140 miles) per hour and the biggest snowfalls for six years were reported, although it was expected to do little to compensate for a historic drought now ravaging California for a third year.

The storm, which began to batter the north of the state late Wednesday, was expected to last through Friday, causing severe flooding in coastal areas and mudslides in higher regions.

Some 240 flights were canceled at San Francisco International Airport, local newspaper reports said, spelling travel misery.

The inclement weather sweeping into the region was being carried on a current with the unlikely name "Pineapple Express" -- an intense stream of moisture stretching from Hawaii to the US West Coast.

"It's clearly the strongest storm to impact the West Coast in the last three years," Todd Morris, a spokesman for the National Weather Service, told AFP, adding that the highest winds were expected in the mountains.

Businesses shielded shop windows with wooden or cardboard coverings, while others protected their property with makeshift sandbags.

Tens of thousands were temporarily left without power, although most had it restored by late afternoon, according to the PG&E utility company.

In the San Francisco Bay area, ferry crossings were suspended, while two stations on the BART public transport system were temporarily closed.

The number of commuters using the BART system was down by about 40 percent, said spokesman Jim Allison.

"A lot of people are clearly staying home," he said. "With the light ridership, combined with, I think, people's patience, it turned out pretty well," he told the LA Times newspaper.

Blizzard warnings were issued for mountain areas, the first such alerts since 2008, with up to a meter (three feet) of snow expected, said Morris.

Threatening LA

Blowing in from the northern Pacific, the unusually strong storm was expected to move south, reaching Los Angeles and San Diego from Thursday evening.

In the suburbs of Los Angeles parking restrictions were imposed in areas vulnerable to mudslides, although the storm had not reached LA by late afternoon.

Schools were closed in San Francisco, Oakland and Marin County and elsewhere in northern California, while local media reported that San Francisco's scenic Great Highway had been closed as a precaution.

The National Weather Service said a flashflood warning would remain in effect all day Thursday, and cautioned motorists that "driving conditions may be very poor."

Flashflood watches and warnings were in place all along the western United States from the Pacific northwest to San Diego at the Golden State's southernmost tip.

The heavy precipitation comes with California already saturated by several weeks of punishing rains.

Epic rainfall was also expected to be felt in Oregon and Washington states.

US weather experts said the last time the region was hit by such heavy rainfall was in October 2009.

Experts said that, while rain was welcome to compensate for California's historic drought, it would take a lot more to have a real impact.

"The current storms will not alleviate the drought, unfortunately," Stephanie Pincetl, an environmental studies professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), told AFP.

"We will need several years of unusually high rainfall."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

All 50 US states feeling freezing temperatures

NEW YORK - Temperatures in all 50 U.S. states dipped to freezing or below on Tuesday as an unseasonably cold blast of weather moved across the country, while heavy snow prompted a state of emergency in western New York.

In the U.S. South, states were bracing for a record chill from the Arctic-born cold that swept the Rocky Mountains last week.

Every U.S. state, including Hawaii, was bitten by temperatures at the freezing point of 32 degrees F (0 C) or below, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Hawaii's Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, had low temperatures of 30 F (-1 C) to 32 F, said NWS spokeswoman Susan Buchanan.

It was the coldest November morning across the country since 1976, according to Weather Bell Analytics, a meteorologist consulting firm. Typically, such cold is not seen until late December through February, the NWS said.

Parts of Erie County, in western New York, had 60 inches (1.5 m) of snow, with more falling, said Steven Welch of the National Weather Service near Buffalo.

Snow had fallen at a rate of up to 5 inches (13 cm) an hour, and the 24-hour total could reach 70 inches (178 cm), threatening the U.S. record for a populated area, Welch said..

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 10 counties. National Guard troops were deployed to help residents cope with the storm.

A total of 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 metres) of snow was expected in many areas of western New York and as much as 6 feet (1.8 metres) elsewhere, the NWS said.

A 140-mile (225-km) stretch of the New York State Thruway along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario was closed. Bans on driving were implemented in some places.

A bus carrying the Niagara University women's basketball team had been stuck on the Thruway since 2 a.m., the school said.

In Florida, freezing temperatures were expected through Wednesday morning, the NWS said.

"I can't stand it," said Robin Roy, 53, shivering underneath a rainbow-colored poncho at an outdoor market in Gulfport, Florida. "I've never liked the cold."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Record freeze extends to eastern US, at least 8 dead

NEW YORK/MILWAUKEE - A deadly blast of arctic air shattered decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States on Tuesday, snarling air, road and rail travel, driving energy prices higher and overwhelming shelters for homeless people.

At least eight deaths have been reported across the country because of the polar air mass sweeping over North America during the past few days. Authorities have put about half of the United States under a wind chill warning or cold weather advisory.

Temperatures were expected to be 25 degrees to 35 degrees Fahrenheit (14 to 19 degrees Celsius) below normal from the Midwest to the Southeast, the National Weather Service said.

The agency that oversees the electric grid supplying the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest said electricity suppliers were struggling to keep up with surging demand as the cold forced some power plants to shut.

"This particular cold is far-reaching and most of our neighbors are experiencing the extreme conditions we are," said Michael Kormos, executive vice president for operations at the agency, PJM Interconnection. Its members include units of American Electric Power Co, FirstEnergy Corp, Exelon Corp, Public Service Electric & Gas Co.

Oil refiners were also hit, with Marathon Petroleum Corp and Exxon Mobil Corp both experiencing cold-related outages.

Homeless shelters and public buildings took in people who were freezing outside.

Daniel Dashner, a 33-year-old homeless man who typically sleeps under a bridge on Milwaukee's south side, said he opted to seek a spot at a shelter on Monday night.

"Usually if I have four or five blankets, I can stay pretty warm, but when that wind is blowing, I don't care how many blankets I have, the wind blows right through me," he said, as temperatures dropped to minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 21 degrees Celsius).

COLD'S BROAD REACH

Major U.S. cities were in the grip of temperatures well below freezing, with Chicago seeing 2 F (minus 17 C), Detroit 0 F (minus 18 C), Pittsburgh 5 F (minus 15 C), Washington 19 (minus 7 C) and Boston 15 F (minus 9 C).

New York's Central Park recorded the lowest temperature for the date, 4 Fahrenheit (minus 16 C), rising to 9 F (minus 13 C) on Tuesday afternoon with wind chills making it feel much colder, meteorologists said.

At New York's Bowery Mission homeless shelter, the 80-bed dormitory was full on Monday night and 179 other people slept in the chapel and cafeteria, officials said.

Schools in Minneapolis and Chicago were closed. Cleveland remained below freezing after temperatures fell to minus 11 F (minus 24 C) on Monday, breaking a 130-year-old record.

Impassable snow and ice halted three Chicago-bound Amtrak trains Monday, stranding more than 500 passengers overnight in northwestern Illinois. The passengers were being taken to Chicago by bus on Tuesday.

In the normally mild south, Atlanta recorded its coldest weather on this date in 44 years, when the temperature dropped to 6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 14 degrees Celsius), while temperatures in northern Florida also briefly dropped below freezing, though the state's citrus crop was unharmed, according to a major growers' group.

Among the deaths reported was a 51-year-old homeless man in Columbus, Georgia, whose body was found in an empty lot after spending the night outdoors.

Two men died in Westerport, Massachusetts while duck hunting on Tuesday when their boat capsized, dropping them into a frigid river, officials said. A third man was rescued.

Four cold and storm-related deaths were reported around Chicago and an elderly woman was found dead outside her Indianapolis home early Monday.

AIRLINES STRUGGLE

The cold snap could cost the U.S. economy up to $5 billion, when lost productivity and lost retail sales are accounted for, estimated Evan Gold, senior vice president at Planalytics, which tracks weather for businesses. He said about 200 million people in major cities might face "bill shock" for heating.

The deep freeze disrupted commutes on Tuesday with icy or closed roads and flight delays. Some 2,380 U.S. flights were canceled and 2,912 delayed, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks airline activity. Airlines scrambled to catch up a day after the cold froze fuel supplies, leading to flight cancellations, many at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Hardest hit were travelers who had booked trips on JetBlue Airways Corp, which on Monday halted its flights at New York's three major airports and Boston Logan International Airport overnight. Flights resumed by midday on Tuesday.

Tuesday proved too cold even for some polar bears. At Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, a 14-year-old female polar bear named Anana has been mostly in her indoor enclosure, where temperatures are 40 F (4 C), said zoo spokeswoman Sharon Dewar.

She said that in their native environment polar bears build up a layer of fat to help them through the Arctic winter of long periods of sub zero temperatures. But she said, "we don't create that fat layer in zoo animals because that would normally not be something they would be comfortable with."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US braces for record lows in big freeze

NEW YORK -- Authorities urged Americans to stay indoors and stock up on food after a fierce winter storm killed 11 people and forecasters said the Arctic blast could bring record low temperatures.

There was no sign of respite Saturday from the brutal chill that has struck since the start of 2014 in parts of the northeastern United States and Canada, prompting New York and New Jersey to declare a state of emergency.

Following heavy snowfall Thursday, one of the coldest Arctic outbreaks in the past two decades is set to plunge America's Midwest close to record cold conditions.

Chicago could on Monday see some of its most bracing weather ever, with temperatures hovering around minus 23 Celsius, weather analysts said.

Gusty winds could bring what forecasters at the National Weather Service called "very dangerous levels" of wind chill.

"Incredibly, it may feel as cold as -50 to -60 (Fahrenheit) on Sunday night over sections of the north-central states with the frigid air remaining in place into early next week," it said.

In such conditions, exposed skin would suffer frostbite in as little as five minutes, forecasters cautioned.

Authorities have urged people in the worst-hit areas to spend the first weekend of the new year at home for their own safety and to allow rescue and clean-up teams to get to work as quickly as possible.

"Chicagoans are a hearty bunch," said Matt Smith, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

"But when temperatures get as cold as they are predicted, you want to start thinking out things in advance," the Chicago Tribune quoted him as saying, adding that the department had advised people stay indoors and ensure they have medical supplies and food.

In Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton has already announced schools will be closed Monday "to protect all our children from the dangerously cold temperatures."

The storm has been the first big test for New York City's new Mayor Bill de Blasio, who only took up his job Wednesday.

"If you want safe, clear streets, stay home," he said Friday.

In an unrelated incident, New Yorkers' attention was at least temporarily distracted from the weather when a private plane was forced to land on a highway in the city's Bronx borough due to engine trouble, injuring the pilot and two passengers.

Thousands of domestic and international flights have been canceled or delayed in several US cities including at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, while thousands of miles of roads were also snarled.

Added to the mix was a flood alert for much of the Atlantic coastline of Massachusetts.

Coldest NFL game ever?

On Friday, a worker was killed when he was crushed by a 30-meter pile of salt being prepared to treat roads in the Philadelphia area, media reports said.

A 71-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease froze to death after walking out into the cold and getting lost in northern New York state, according to authorities.

At least nine other deaths were blamed on the storm, nicknamed Hercules.

Eastern Canada has also been badly hit, and residents in many parts of Newfoundland lost power, local media reported.

Temperatures there had plunged to five degrees Fahrenheit, but the wind chill made it feel as cold as minus 31.

The bracing weather was also set to impact Sunday's crucial National Football League playoff between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers.

Some media outlets speculated that the eagerly anticipated clash at the open-air Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, might be the coldest NFL game in history as freezing temperatures and blustery winds threatened a windchill factor as low as minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Packers say they will help fans battle the big freeze at the open-air stadium by handing out free coffee and hot chocolate.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Snowstorm bears down on northeastern United States

NEW YORK - The northeastern United States prepared Thursday for snow, high winds and frigid temperatures, as a gust of wintry weather bore down on New England and surrounding states, cancelling flights.

Temperatures in New York were expected to drop to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12 degrees Celsius) with a wind chill factor of minus nine degrees Fahrenheit, according to national weather forecasts.

Tracking system FlightAware said that about 2,000 flights entering, leaving or inside the United States had been canceled.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories for a huge area spanning states from Chicago trough New York, New England and the US capital Washington.

Heavy winter weather was hitting the country's midwest, dropping a blanket of snow and cancelling flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

The northeastern winter warning was in effect in New York from Thursday evening through midday Friday, with forecasters predicting six to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of snow and winds that could reach up to 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for New York's Long Island.

The storm in the Big Apple, where forecasters expect three to seven inches of snow, will pose a first test for the city's new Mayor Bill de Blasio, who assumed his post Wednesday.

De Blasio said the city had "laser" focus as it prepared. "We are ready," he said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo activated the State Emergency Operations Center and urged people to use public transportation, warning of possible highway closures due to inclement weather.

Officials also warned about the risk of freezing or hypothermia due to the frigid temperatures.

In Boston, temperatures had already dropped to 25 degrees Fahrenheit early Thursday. The state was under a winter storm warning, with strong snowfall expected until Friday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawaii ends tsunami evacuation

Hawaii dropped a tsunami warning and evacuations Sunday after a major earthquake off Canada's west coast Saturday night.

After the warning was posted by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Gov. Neil Abercrombie declared an emergency and officials began evacuating coastal and low-lying areas, KITV News in Honolulu reported.

The first small tsunami waves were seen off Hawaii about six hours after the earthquake, CNN said.

Five hours after the evacuations were ordered, the National Weather Service said the threat of a tsunami had decreased and was not expected to rise again.

Regardless, all beaches remained closed and Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle urged residents to stay ashore, HawaiiNewsNow reported.

"Right now, we do not feel it is safe for anyone to go into the water," the mayor said.

The major magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck in the Haida Gwaii archipelago along Canada's western coast Saturday night, U.S. seismologists said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 8:04 p.m. local time about 10.9 miles deep. It was centered occurred along British Columbia's coast, about 86 miles south of Masset and about 395 miles south-southeast of Juneau, Alaska

A tsunami warning was also issued by the West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to Cape Decision, Alaska, although it was downgraded to an advisory soon after.

Despite the quake's magnitude, there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage in the mostly rural islands of British Columbia.

The Toronto Star's western bureau reported the initial quake was followed by at least two aftershocks.

"We were just sitting down relaxing and all of a sudden -- boom! I thought it was a major landslide," Dave Martynuik, who lives in the village of Queen Charlotte in the Haida Gwaii, told the newspaper in a phone interview.

source: upi.com