Key Facts Of The Day 2/2

Storms and Flooding

• As of Thursday morning, over 11 million people across the U.S. were under ice storm warnings, while another 4.2 million were under winter storm warnings.
  • About 510,000 customers were without power across Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
    • Texas alone accounted for more than 410,000 of the power outages.
  • Texas bore the brunt of a dangerous ice storm that dumped several rounds of sleet and freezing rain, causing life-threatening road conditions in surrounding states, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the Memphis area in Tennessee.
  • Treacherous driving conditions from the storm resulted in at least nine deaths on slick roads since Monday, including seven in Texas and one each in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
  • Dallas Independent School District, which serves more than 145,000 students, canceled classes for a third day over the storm on Thursday, as did Austin Independent School District, which serves around 74,000 students.
• Forecasters predict that a separate winter storm in the Northeast will have wind chills well below zero degrees Fahrenheit on Friday and Saturday.
  • More than 15 million people are expected to be under a wind chill watch or warning in the Northeast beginning either Thursday night or Friday morning through at least Saturday afternoon.
  • Warming centers are expected to be available in Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
  • In Boston, the mayor declared a cold emergency in the city for Friday through Sunday ahead of the severely cold weather.

Wildfire

• As of January 27, there are currently 0  large active wildfires that have burned 0 acres across the country.
• As of January 27, 1,392 wildfires have burned 11,005 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• The U.S. and Texas cattle inventory decreased following the drought.
• Even with the added acres, a multi-year drought that has gripped the key Plains wheat belt puts harvest prospects in doubt, especially in states like top producers Kansas and Oklahoma.
• Although California entered February with a deeper snowpack than it has seen in four decades, it has spurred concerns about dryness, flooding, and other potential hazards in the months ahead.

New Reports and Data

• A February 2023 study found that under more severe climate warming scenarios, the inventory of trees used for timber in the continental United States could decline by as much as 23% by 2100.
• A January 2023 study found that over 4% of summer mortality in European cities is attributable to urban heat islands.