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- Snowstorm heading your way? Here's why you should put a quarter on a frozen cup of water
- Dripping faucets prevents frozen pipes in your home — here's how to do it
- Never climb an icy roof to clear snow — here's the safe way to remove dangerous buildup
Winter Storm Fern has officially crashed down on the United States. The eastern portion of the country is currently receiving a white blanket of snow, and the central states have already dealt with some of the worst of it.
We're keeping track of the latest developments with the giant storm while offering helpful tips to help you get through it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether you want to see snowfall totals in major cities, learn about highway closures, find comfort movies and shows to watch during the worst of the storm, or keep track of major power outages, our Winter Storm Fern live blog has you covered.
There's a lot to think about during a big snowstorm like this. Between staying warm, safe and entertained while stuck at home, that would be enough to worry about. Then, when you factor in travel, if needed, and other important parts of life, stress levels can go through the roof.
Snowfall amounts in major US cities
CITY |
CURRENT SNOWFALL |
EXPECTED SNOWFALL |
Boston |
1 |
20 |
Cincinnati |
6 |
13 |
Hartford |
1 |
18 |
Indianapolis |
6 |
12 |
Louisville |
1 |
6 |
New York |
4 |
13 |
Oklahoma City |
5 |
8 |
Philadelphia |
2 |
10 |
Pittsburgh |
3 |
14 |
Providence |
1 |
12 |
Tulsa |
8 |
10 |
Washington D.C |
5 |
10 |
Power outages by state
Alabama |
10,000 |
Arkansas |
6,000 |
Connecticut |
10 |
Delaware |
7 |
Georgia |
32,000 |
Illinois |
100 |
Kansas |
550 |
Kentucky |
63,000 |
Louisiana |
124,000 |
Maine |
30 |
Maryland |
1000 |
Massachusettes |
5000 |
Michigan |
150 |
Mississippi |
140,000 |
Missouri |
380 |
New Hampshire |
125 |
New Jersey |
100 |
New York |
2,500 |
North Carolina |
8,000 |
Ohio |
900 |
Oklahoma |
4,000 |
Pennsylvania |
3,100 |
Rhode Island |
1 |
South Carolina |
2,000 |
Tennessee |
287,000 |
Texas |
124,000 |
Vermont |
0 |
Virginia |
12,000 |
Washington, D.C. |
800 |
West Virginia |
9,000 |
Flight cancelations
As of this writing, there have been more than 14,000 (around 10,000 today) flight cancellations that can be directly attributed to Winter Storm Fern. In New York, FlightAware says LaGuardia alone has 893 cancellations. JFK has 910 canceled flights today. Here are some of the biggest airports and the number of cancellations they're dealing with:
CLT |
1,079 |
ATL |
1045 |
JFK |
910 |
EWR |
895 |
LGA |
893 |
DCA |
832 |
DFW |
831 |
PHL |
640 |
Winter Storm Fern — Live updates
Snow is falling in the midwest
The midwestern United States is already seeing substantial snowfall from the overnight storm, which is now making its way to the eastern part of the country. States like Oklahoma have as much as 7 inches of snow, while parts of Ohio have around 5 inches.
We'll continue tracking snowfall amounts across major U.S. cities as the storm pounds the country.
Careful shoveling your deck
There's a lot to think about when it comes to a massive storm like Fern. You have to worry about driving on dangerous roads, losing power and overall safety. But there are some aspects of the storm you might not think about, such as how you shovel off your deck.
But that's the kind of thing you definitely need to have on your mind when it comes time to clean up the mess Winter Storm Fern leaves behind. In fact, if you have composite decking, you shouldn't use metal snow shovels. It's one of those things you might not even think about, but it's important to keep on your radar if you have that kind of deck and shovel combination.
Power outages starting
As is usually the case with these snowstorms, many people across the U.S. are without power. In fact, according to the latest reports, around 400,000 households are without power. During a winter storm, power outages are particularly scary, as they can often mean no heat in bitter temperetarues.
If you still have power, make sure you're prepared for a power outage so you can get through the time without power as smoothly as possible.
Flights canceled everywhere
Travel during a massive winter storm is unsafe, regardless of mode of transportation. Unfortunately, that means tons of flights have been canceled due to Winter Storm Fern, leaving travelers stranded at airports or stuck at home, missing important trips.
According to early reports from FlightAware, 4,000 U.S. flights were canceled on Saturday, and another 9,400 have already been canceled for Sunday, with more expected to follow.
Did you fill your tub?
A lot of people might not know, but filling your bathtub with water before a snowstorm can be a critical step in preparing for a power outage. Specifically, you'll want to have it filled before losing power, as the tub will be key for flushing your toilet.
Check out the link below for everything you need to know about this useful snowstorm preparedness tip:
Netflix top 10
If you're looking for something to watch and you have Netflix, the top 10 movies is a great place to get some ideas. We've dug through the top 10 to bring you the 3 we think are worth watching.
Snowstorms ruining sleep?
There are a lot of things you probably think about during a snowstorm. Shoveling the driveway, trying to drive to work, losing power are just a few. But one important thing you might not think about is how a snowstorm can affect your sleep. And it's not just the obvious reasons like the storm causing stress. There are actually 4 surprising ways a snowstorm can mess with your sleep.
If you want to be sure you're getting the best sleep possible during the worst time, give the link above a quick read and be prepared to get some rest.
Power outage totals on the rise
As you can see from the table above, a lot of people are without power right now. In total, there are around 700,000 people in the U.S. without access to electricity right now, which is scary for all of those people and the crews who need to work to restore power.
Unfortunately, we expect those numbers to only increase as we get deeper into the storm's path. It's just starting here in the Northeast (I'm in Connecticut) and the power outages haven't really started here yet (and I hope they don't).
As always, we'll keep you posted on the latest regarding power outages and other issues regarding Winter Storm Fern as they happen.
Snow picking up in NJ
Our own U.S. Editor in Chief Mike Prospero had a little birdie come to his feeder today, not worried about the snow, which you can see starting to come down in the background.
Monday flights being canceled, too
It looks like we're already seeing flights being canceled for Monday, with a total of 1,800 already being canceled across affected areas.
Most snowfall so far
As of this post, the most reported snowfall from weather.gov is Canaan Hgts, WV with 13.8 inches. Oblong, IL is right behind it with 13.4 inches of snowfall and Fritchton, IN is next in line with 13 inches. With 12 inches, Trotwood, OH is also up there.
Super Bowl prep
If you're sitting at home and you still have power, you might want to do some pre-Super Bowl shopping, and there are some tremendous deals out there.
You can buy air fryers, grills and griddles starting at just $79 with these deals. Sure, it's an expensive way to spend your time being snowed in, but all of the items featured are discounted from their regular price, which is always a good thing.
Get a workout in
If you're stuck at home, you might as well get some exercise in. In fact, we have some tips to help you start fixing your stiff hips in just a few short minutes.
Another 1,000 flights
The number of canceled flights has increased again. Now, there are 11,076 flights across the U.S. that have been canceled. In terms of delays, the number is 12,868, which likely leaving thousands of people stranded at the airport waiting for flights that may just end up being canceled.
879,652 without power
According to the latest U.S. power outage reports, 879,652 people are without power. That's not as bad as I expected, but it's no consolation for the people currently dealing with outages.
It looks like Nashville is in bad shape, with about 48% of customers without power in the city.
Snow not stopping this cardinal
