Wintry blizzards sweep America’s Midwest by Kirsty McCabe
An early taste of winter has engulfed much of America’s Midwest, with heavy snow and strong winds sweeping through the Dakotas and Nebraska over the past two days.
Snow accumulations of 10 to 20cm (4 to 8 inches) were widely reported across South Dakota, with 114cm (45 inches) falling near Deadwood in the Black Hills.
Power lines were downed due to snow, freezing rain and strong winds, long stretches of highways were closed and thousands of motorists were left stranded in their vehicles. Dozens of schools and businesses were forced to close as the wintry weather gripped the region.
The worst of the wintry weather is now easing, but problems with icy roads and power outages continue to impact the lives of thousands of residents and tourists.
The wintry blast was caused by an active cold front that swept southeast across the Midwest, bringing strong winds and very cold air down from the north. Cold spells such as this are fairly common for the region during this time of year, as the polar jet stream starts to move further south, bringing colder air to the USA from Canada and the Arctic.
