Misplaced Pages

#229770

137-580: The United States Energy Award was established in 1989 to recognize preeminent energy leadership and contributions to international understanding of energy issues. The United States Energy Association Board of Directors appointed Mark W. Menezes as its new President and Chief Executive Officer effective June 15, 2023. Vicky Bailey is the Executive Chairman of USEA's board of directors. The association gathers industry leaders to provide virtual press briefings, webinars, forums and events, serving as

274-766: A winter storm began developing and traveling east. Winter Storm Warnings went into effect for counties in Iowa and northern Illinois . The storm lasted into the following day, having reached a maximum size of around 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometres) from east to west. Parts of the Midwest saw more than one foot of snow, while mixed precipitation occurred in the Ohio Valley and Northeast. Des Moines International Airport recorded 10.3 inches (26 cm) of snowfall on Monday. Several schools and districts in central Iowa cancelled classes or started them late on Tuesday morning, while

411-686: A 1,000+ day high-impact snowstorm drought in the Mid-Atlantic and coastal New England regions. More than 70 million people were affected throughout the Northeast. The nor'easter also caused significant impacts in Atlantic Canada; schools, government offices, public parks and recreation programs in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia all had delayed openings or closures on December 18. It is estimated to have caused at least $ 125 million (2021 USD) in damage. A powerful blizzard began impacting

548-607: A contract with the Texas Reliability Entity in November 2020, reducing oversight of the grid. In July, Abbott's commissioners disbanded its Oversight and Enforcement Division, dropping pending cases that ensure reliability. While not a direct cause, the Commission's minimal oversight of utility companies, limited budget, and voluntary standards restricted its ability to secure consistent performance. There

685-701: A crippling and devastating ice storm in the Southern Plains, which later merged with the remnants of Hurricane Zeta and produced more snow in New England. November was generally quiet in terms of winter weather, with only a few minor snow events in the Midwest. Late in the month however, a storm system moved through the Ohio Valley bringing over 9 inches (23 cm) of snow to Cleveland , and over 24 inches (61 cm) of snow to areas just south of Lake Erie in northeast Ohio . December began with

822-551: A crippling ice storm hit Central Oklahoma , and Western North Texas including Oklahoma City . Ice accumulations were as high as 2 inches (51 mm) in areas of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area . The ice storm resulted in widespread tree damage and over 400,000 customers being put without power, 40,000 of whom remained out of power ten days later. It was one of the worst ice storms in Oklahoma City history, and

959-455: A foot in many areas, causing widespread flooding and mudslides. The system later became a nor'easter bringing heavy and impactful snow to both coastal and interior areas of the Northeast, with both the Boston and New York City metropolitan areas seeing 18–24 inches (46–61 cm) of snow, in addition to causing over $ 1.8 billion in damages. February began with a winter storm that moved through

1096-950: A low pressure system in a trough in the jet stream. The next day, the powerful low pressure swung northeastward into the Canadian Maritimes , as two cold fronts behind the system ushered in an Arctic airmass into the Northeast and New England. A strong pressure gradient set up later in the day behind the now stationary low pressure, unleashing powerful winds. Overnight, wind chills dropped to as low as −40 °F (−40 °C), prompting wind chill advisories in much of New England, as well as wind chill warnings in portions of far northern New England. Very cold temperatures and strong winds continued into March 2, with wind chill high temperatures barely reaching 5 °F (−15 °C) in many areas. Mount Washington, New Hampshire reported sustained winds of 114 mph (183 km/h), and combined with air temperatures of −27 °F (−33 °C), led to

1233-633: A major power crisis in Texas . In total, the four back-to-back storms resulted in tens of billions of dollars in damage, over 250 fatalities, at least 14 million power outages, and a crisis in the Deep South. Simultaneous to the barrage of winter storms was a historic, long-lived outbreak of Arctic air in the Central United States . Temperatures 30-50 °F (17-28 °C) below average for prolonged periods from February 12–19 resulted in

1370-464: A mass pre-treatment of the roads in the area, getting thousands of tons of salt and brine ready. Over 200 snow and ice removal vehicles were prepared to be treating the roads during the storm. Utility workers began preparing to work for many hours fixing the power due to outages from snow and ice. Two people were killed in car accidents in Kentucky. On February 10, Delta Airlines flight 2231 slid off

1507-552: A nor'easter on April 16, making it their sixth-largest April snowstorm on record. Paducah, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana saw their latest ever snowflakes on April 21. May 2021 became the 9th snowiest May in Binghamton, New York . On the opposite end, several cities in Wyoming saw their earliest snow on record on September 8, while Goodland, Kansas saw their earliest measurable snow on September 9. In New York City ,

SECTION 10

#1732786710230

1644-516: A nor'easter that impacted parts of New England with heavy snow. Later in the month, a powerful nor'easter brought heavy and impactful snow to widespread areas of the Northeastern United States and southern Canada . Major cities such as New York City , Pittsburgh , and Boston saw over 10 inches (25 cm) of snow from the system. Areas farther inland saw as much as 44 inches (110 cm) of snow. Around Christmas week,

1781-618: A powerful blizzard impacted the Midwestern United States and Canada, which also caused severe storms in the Southeast. A powerful extratropical cyclone in the Bering Sea late in the month reached winds of over 100 mph (160 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 921 mb (27.2 inHg) west of Alaska. It later moved on to hit Alaska , after only slightly weakening, causing high surf and gusty winds in

1918-531: A record 69,692 megawatts (MW) on February 14 — 3,200 MW higher than the previous record set in January 2018 and 12,329 MW higher than its current capacity. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) initiated rotating outages at 1:25am on February 15. However, a retrospective Houston Chronicle article a year later said peak demand was even higher: 76,819 megawatts on Feb. 16, 2021. The rotating outages prevented electricity demand from overwhelming

2055-464: A report on the current state of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). The report analyzed the various federal and state tax incentives that can be utilized to make large-scale CCUS adoption and deployment possible, including the benefits that exist through the Section 45Q federal tax credit. In June 2020, USEA partnered with London Economics International (LEI) and Grid Advisors LLC to develop

2192-481: A reserve margin of power capacity beyond what is expected. A 2019 North American Electric Reliability Corporation report found that ERCOT had a low anticipated reserve margin of generation capacity and was the only part of the country without sufficient resources available to meet projected peak summer electricity demand. Gov. Abbott's appointees to the Public Utility Commission of Texas ended

2329-714: A resource and educator for the domestic and international energy industry. USEA offers virtual press briefings covering important topics in the Energy Industry. These briefings bring together industry experts, news outlets and the general public to discuss topics such as Green Hydrogen, the Texas Deep Freeze , the Impact of 5G Networks on Electric Utilities and others. The association has held webinars on Cybersecurity, Carbon Capture and Storage, Distributed Energy Resources, and Grid Modernization. Forums include

2466-459: A similar event occurring in the future, but these recommendations were ignored due to the cost of winterizing the systems. At the time the blackouts and failures in the power grid were likened to those that occurred in December 1989 , after which similar recommendations were made to the state government and ERCOT, which were similarly ignored. On August 16, 2011, a 357-page report was released by

2603-662: A strain on the state's power grid, resulting in the Southwest Power Pool and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas both instituting rolling blackouts . On February 10, an ice storm began impacting states in the Ohio Valley region as well as the Upland South . In Louisville , road crews and utility workers began preparing for a major ice storm on February 8. The City of Louisville Department of Public Works began preparing for

2740-514: A strategy to help Uganda improve its grid reliability and increase renewable capacity. In March 2021, the partners published an Energy Mix Diversification Strategy for the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL). 2021 Texas energy crisis In February 2021, the state of Texas suffered a major power crisis , which came about during three severe winter storms sweeping across

2877-492: A swath of wintry weather from New Mexico through Alabama, including areas such as Lubbock , Austin , Metro Houston , and Shreveport , some of which saw over 6 inches of snow accumulation. Towards the middle of the month, a blizzard impacted the Midwest and the interior Northeast, producing heavy snow and extremely gusty winds behind the system. During the last full week of January, a storm with winter weather spanning over 1,500 miles produced snowfall and mixed precipitation from

SECTION 20

#1732786710230

3014-497: A taxiway prior to takeoff due to ice accumulations at Pittsburgh International Airport , although there were no casualties. On the early morning of February 11, 2021, due to the frigid weather, Interstate 35W in Fort Worth, Texas was icy, which was unusual for the area. As a result, at 6:30 AM CST the first collision occurred when a vehicle skidded off the road, which led to several vehicles, including semi-trucks, to pile up on

3151-667: A wind chill temperature of −80 °F (−62 °C) on the morning of March 2. The strong winds and cold temperatures caused over 165,000 power outages in New England during the event from March 1–2. Parts of US 1 closed due to the blowing snow. A significant blizzard brought Cheyenne their largest two-day snowfall on record with 30.8 inches falling from March 13–14. The storm closed schools and colleges and city and state government buildings. Schools and government offices also shut down in Casper. Denver received their second-largest March snowfall on record with 27.1 inches falling at

3288-581: A wind turbine said to be in Texas were actually taken in 2015 in Sweden. However, wind energy accounts for only 23% of Texas power output. Moreover, equipment for other energy sources such as natural gas power generating facilities either freezing up or having mechanical failures were also responsible. Governor Abbott later acknowledged that coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants had played a role. Five times more natural gas than wind power had been lost. When power

3425-807: Is a joint-effort to enhance the energy security of Europe and Eurasia. The program focuses on improving and growing the engineering skills and institutional capacity of the region’s energy sector. One of the projects under the ETAG is the Black Sea Regional Transmission Planning Project (BSTP). Established in 2004, this program provides training, analysis and infrastructure project support to electric transmission system operators of Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. In 2021, its models and training were being used to help Ukraine and Moldova diversify its energy systems and resources. In October 2020,

3562-400: Is an emergency priority for the state legislature , and there would be an investigation of the power outage to determine long-term solutions. The legislature held hearings with power plant chief executives, but not with natural gas industry leaders. In March 2021, Congress launched an investigation into the power crisis by requesting documents relating to winter weather preparedness from

3699-411: Is the moral hazard of the market which is when wind or solar or coal or nuclear underperforms, they lose money. And when gas power plants underperform they lose money. But when the gas producers underperform, they made money. And this is why the gas system gets a pass, which is it's very lucrative for it to fail, and that lucrative return shows up as political donations that curries favor that really gets

3836-607: The Aleutian Islands . January and the new year began with a storm system moving from the Gulf of Mexico to the Northeast on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day . It produced a swath of wintry weather extending over 2,000 miles, and the system also produced up to 2 feet (24 in) of snow and over 0.5 inches (13 mm) of ice in some areas. Later in the month, a storm originating in the Rocky Mountains produced

3973-622: The Deep South and the Ohio Valley , including Texas, Georgia , Louisiana , Arkansas , Tennessee , as well as states on the East Coast. A second storm developed off the Pacific Northwest on February 13 and began to gradually develop into an organized storm as it tracked southward toward Texas. It grew even more organized as it turned toward the northeast U.S. before splitting in half — one half continuing into Quebec and

4110-614: The Deep South , and to the Northeast. In total, the two winter storms resulted in at least $ 27.1 billion in damage, nearly 14 million power outages, and a total of 319 fatalities. In mid-March, a historic Category 3 blizzard unfolded in the Rocky Mountains , with Denver and Cheyenne seeing one of their largest March snowstorms on record. On October 15, 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Climate Prediction Center released its U.S. Winter Outlook. The temperature and precipitation outlooks reflected

4247-650: The Denver and Cheyenne areas. It was also responsible for a major late-season snowstorm in the Midwest as well. It was shortly followed by another severe blizzard in the Southern Plains , resulting in near-zero visibility, major highways being stopped for hours, and several injuries. In mid-April, a fairly strong nor'easter moved up the East Coast , resulting in heavy snowfall accumulations in interior New England, as well as widespread lower totals closer to

United States Energy Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

4384-554: The Des Moines Public Schools district held classes virtually. Overnight, the storm also caused severe weather in the Southeast, including a tornado in Fultondale, Alabama which killed one person and injured many others. It also caused many power outages and widespread damage north of Birmingham, Alabama . On January 26, snow and ice began moving into the Northeast, and began becoming more widespread as

4521-467: The East Coast . It is estimated to have caused at least $ 100 million (2020 USD) in damage. On December 4, a nor'easter developed from an area of low pressure moving off the Mid-Atlantic coast and began to rapidly intensify. Ahead of the storm, Winter Storm Warnings were issued in a swath from the northern parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island to Maine 's border with Canada . On December 5,

4658-639: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in response to the February 2011 power outage in Texas . In mid-February 2021, a series of severe winter storms swept across the United States. This outbreak was due to the polar jet stream dipping particularly far south into the U.S., stretching from Washington to Texas, and running back north along the East Coast , allowing a polar vortex to bring very cold air across

4795-683: The Great Plains and Midwest, with heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions sparking a 40-vehicle pileup on Interstate 80 eastbound in Iowa, causing several serious injuries. It was followed just a few days later by a fast-moving nor'easter that brought moderate snowfall to the I-95 corridor on the day of Super Bowl LV . Then, a series of major winter storms blasted through the Western, Southern, and Eastern United States bringing heavy snow and ice. The first two storms were both major ice storms, with

4932-570: The Midwest and Ohio Valley. 12.9 inches of snow fell in Romeoville . Also, 10.8 and 11.3 inches of snow fell at O'Hare and Midway airports respectively. Nearby, 8 to 10 inches fell in the Milwaukee metro area and 13.5 inches fell in northern Indiana . Shortly thereafter, the storm developed into a nor'easter and began moving up the coast slowly, dumping excessive amounts of snow on

5069-466: The Northeast , as the storm was moving deeper into Eastern Canada . The nor'easter is estimated to have caused at least $ 25 million (2021 USD) in damage. On December 16, a second major nor'easter began affecting parts of New England and the Mid-Atlantic. The storm was described as a "blockbuster storm" by AccuWeather . The nor'easter formed on December 16 and continued affect the Northeast into

5206-401: The Pacific Northwest from February 12 to 13; Seattle received 11.1 inches (28 cm) of snow. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a federal emergency declaration after a significant snow event in Texas accompanied by extreme cold. The storm caused blackouts for nearly 10 million customers in the United States and in northern Mexico, triggering a severe power crisis in Texas in

5343-517: The United States . Canada recorded its coldest temperature since 2017; −51.9 °C (−61.4 °F) in Wekweeti , Northwest Territories . In Livingston, Montana , the daily cold record for February 13 was broken and temperatures fell to −28 °F (−33 °C) there. The cold later spread southwards to areas such as Texas , where temperatures reached 0 °F (−18 °C) in parts of

5480-585: The Upper Midwest starting on December 23, disrupting travel ahead of Christmas . A pileup occurred on Interstate 29 in South Dakota , implicating 20 vehicles and injuring a few people. 298 flights were cancelled and another 46 delayed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport . Strong winds, gusting up to 68 mph, left 10,000 customers without power in Minnesota . Almost zero visibility

5617-424: The grid frequency continued to drop as demand exceeded supply. The grid came within minutes of overloading and shutting down completely, which would have required a slow and costly black start . During the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard , Texas had faced similar power outages due to frozen power equipment, after which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reported that more winterization of power infrastructure

United States Energy Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

5754-460: The two major national grids to avoid federal oversight, though it is still connected to the other national grids and Mexico's; the limited number of ties made it difficult for the state to import electricity from other states during the crisis. Deregulation of its electricity market beginning in the 1990s resulted in competition in wholesale electricity prices, but also cost cutting for contingency preparation. The crisis drew much attention to

5891-696: The $ 9,000 cap by ERCOT for two days longer than necessary, creating $ 16 billion in unnecessary charges. In 2011, Texas was hit by the Groundhog Day blizzard between February 1 and 5, resulting in rolling blackouts across more than 75% of the state. Many roads around Houston were impassable, and boil-water advisories were issued in several areas. Following this disaster, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation made several recommendations for upgrading Texas's electrical infrastructure to prevent

6028-655: The $ 9.8 billion spent in all of 2020. The legislature allowed issuance of about $ 5 billion in bonds to pay for it, or $ 200 per Texan. The then-CEO of ERCOT testified under oath that Governor Abbot had ordered power prices to stay at this level, which led to the bankruptcy of the Brazos Electric co-op. Water service was disrupted for more than 12 million people due to pipes freezing and bursting. More than 200,000 people in Texas live in areas where water systems were completely non-operational. On February 17, residents of Austin were asked not to drip their faucets despite

6165-592: The 17th. A swath of 12–18+ inches of snow extended from central Pennsylvania through most of southern New England. Locally, up to 44 inches (110 cm) of snow fell in Newark Valley, New York and 45 inches (110 cm) fell in Ludlow , where a new state record may have been broken. In nearby Pennsylvania, the 24-hour snowfall record of 38 inches (97 cm) was threatened. Williamsport and Binghamton both saw their largest snowstorms on record. Snowfall rates in

6302-551: The 4th of July. In total, the blizzard is estimated to have caused at least $ 340 million (2021 USD) in damages. In late December, an extremely powerful extratropical cyclone developed in the far Northern Pacific Ocean , and explosively deepened late on December 30–31 as it neared the Bering Sea . According to the Ocean Prediction Center 's analysis, the cyclone achieved a minimum pressure of 921 mb (27.2 inHg) at 12:00 UTC on December 31, which

6439-546: The 8th snowiest February, occurred, as snow was over 26 inches (66 cm). This became the snowiest February across portions of Northern New Jersey as well. Parts of northeastern Pennsylvania also recorded their second snowiest February. The second snowiest February on record also occurred in Cincinnati , which logged 21.9 inches (56 cm) of snow during the month. Glasgow, Montana and Bismarck, North Dakota saw their warmest first half of winter on record, which

6576-657: The Annual State of the Energy Industry Forum, Annual Membership Meeting and Public Policy Forum, Energy Supply Forum, and Advanced Energy Technology Forum. USEA has been a partner with USAID since 1991, expanding energy infrastructure, improving energy access, and reducing energy poverty in developing economies through international energy partnerships. Their work together includes the Energy Utility Partnership Program,

6713-478: The Canadian border with Upstate New York and Vermont, up to 7 inches of snow fell. The swath of wintry weather extended over 2,200 miles. The storm complex is estimated to have caused at least $ 35 million (2021 USD) in damage. On January 12, a low pressure came ashore in the Pacific Northwest , causing heavy rain, mountain snow, and damaging winds in much of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. The next day,

6850-626: The Djibouti Geothermal Partnership, Ethiopia Geothermal Partnership, and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), USEA partners with the Department of Energy and local governments to promote U.S. companies’ involvement in developing additional geothermal generation capacity. In December 2020, USEA and USAID released the EAGP Webinar Series on geothermal industrial parks. In 2020, USEA released

6987-706: The Energy Technology and Governance Program, the South Asia Regional Energy Hub (SAREH), and the U.S.-East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP). EUPP’s focus is on helping developing countries increase environmentally sustainable energy production and improve their utilities. Different programs are funded through the partnership, such as the U.S. government’s Power Africa initiative, which offers policy, financial, and technical assistance to African countries. USEA makes EUPP available to all USAID-assisted countries and USAID Missions. ETAG

SECTION 50

#1732786710230

7124-895: The I-95 corridor. 4.5 inches of snow fell in D.C ., 5.2 inches in Baltimore , 7.8 inches in Philadelphia , 18.2 inches in Newark, New Jersey , 17.2 inches in Central Park, New York , 15.2 inches in New Haven , and 24 inches in Lowell, Massachusetts . The highest snowfall total from the nor'easter phase of the storm was 36.1 inches in Nazareth, Pennsylvania . The system is estimated to have caused over $ 1.85 billion in damage. Another nor'easter began taking shape late on February 6 in

7261-538: The Midwest to the Northeast, as well as causing severe weather in the Southeast. It was shortly followed by a cold wave in the Northeast, in which wind chills dropped to as low as −25 °F (−32 °C) and that prompted an area of wind chill advisories . At the end of the month, a storm complex and atmospheric river event began to unfold in the Western United States , with snowfall totals as high as 100 inches (250 cm) and rainfall totals over

7398-598: The South Asia Regional Energy Hub (SAREH) was created to share results from its Asia EDGE initiative. This partnership provides a platform for the private sector to share knowledge and coordinate opportunities for collaboration with policy makers and regulators in South Asia. In 2012, the association launched the U.S.-East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP), a public-private partnership “offering assistance at early stages of project development in East Africa.” Through

7535-716: The Southeastern U.S. on December 23; another one was reported as well on December 24, and non-tornadic wind damage was reported across several states. Flooding on the Delaware River forced the National Park Service to block off all access to the river from within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area . In New York City , temperatures early morning on Christmas rise to 60 °F (16 °C) as

7672-422: The Southern Plains, a powerful nor'easter in mid-December, another major nor'easter in early February, two major and widespread winter storms in mid-February, and a major blizzard in the Rocky Mountains in mid-March. The winter-related events were responsible for at least 358 fatalities, making it the deadliest season since 1992–93. A La Niña pattern influenced much of the winter in North America. Based on

7809-524: The State of Texas, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency assistance throughout Texas. FEMA sent 60 generators, as well as water and blankets, to the state. Local churches, community centers and other locations opened warming stations for affected individuals as well as asked for physical and monetary donations to help those affected. Several local mutual aid groups responded with supply delivery and distribution, particularly in

7946-574: The Texas electric grid manager and ERCOT. The Railroad Commission blamed power producers for gas supply issues, even though its chair Christi Craddick was aware of gas supply problems prior to the outages. Cold weather disrupted 22 gas processing plants two days before blackouts began. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is investigating anomalies in the natural gas market, where companies may have illegally manipulated prices. Intrastate pipelines are not required to report their tariffs like interstate pipelines, making it harder to investigate. FERC

8083-400: The Texas power grid was four minutes and 37 seconds away from complete failure when partial grid shutdowns were implemented. During the crisis, some energy firms made billions in profits, while others went bankrupt, due to some firms being able to pass extremely high wholesale prices ($ 9,000/MWh, typically $ 50/MWh) on to consumers, while others could not, with this price being allegedly held at

8220-489: The U.S. and 6 in Mexico. At least 246 people lost their lives during the winter storms. The winter storm caused a record low temperature at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport of −2 °F (−19 °C) on February 16, the coldest in North Texas in 72 years. Most Texan homes, which infrequently see low temperatures, have poor insulation and are heated with inefficient electric resistance heaters , resulting in extremely high electricity demand. Power equipment in Texas

8357-406: The United States on February 10–11 , 13–17 , and 15–20 . The storms triggered the worst energy infrastructure failure in Texas state history, leading to shortages of water, food, and heat. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, some for several days. At least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly, with some estimates as high as 702 killed as a result of

SECTION 60

#1732786710230

8494-525: The West Texas region and extending into Oklahoma. The unusual severity of the winter weather led to the closure of Interstate 10, which stranded dozens of travelers that had to seek shelter in two school gyms in Marfa. Peak accumulations in Texas reached 24 inches (61 cm) in Big Bend National Park. The storm system continued moving Northeastward and brought 5.1 and 6.5 inches to Oklahoma City and Witchita, Kansas respectively. Nearly half an inch of ice accumulated in parts of Illinois and Pennsylvania. Along

8631-449: The airport. The storm was also Denver's fourth-largest snowstorm on record. The storm shut down major highways, caused more than 2,000 flights to be canceled and left over 50,000 customers without power. The system caused at least $ 75 million in damages. The Storm Was unofficially named Xylia by The Weather Channel . Late on March 16, Blizzard Warnings were issued for the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and surrounding areas. On

8768-399: The all-time one-day and 24-hour snowfall records, both of which had previously been set in January 1985. Little Rock, Arkansas saw 11.8 inches (30 cm) of snow from the same storm, making it the city's second-largest snowstorm in history, as well as pushing the city to tie its record snow depth of 15 inches (38 cm). Austin realized their snowiest February on record. October 2020

8905-450: The all-time record there. Up to 14 inches (36 cm) fell to the south of the city. Elsewhere in the region, 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) to 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) of ice accretion impacted Houston , 4 inches (10 cm) of snow fell in Oklahoma City and 7.2 inches (18 cm) in Memphis, Tennessee . Impacts from the storm stretched all the way into Massachusetts . 100 cars became stranded on roadways near Florence, Alabama due to

9042-406: The area. The low pressure stalled on January 15, and blizzard conditions continued in parts of the Upper Midwest. Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Watches were issued in portions of the interior Northeast, in anticipation of the storm moving there next. Later, Winter Storm Watches in the Northeast were upgraded to Winter Storm Warnings as the storm moved into the Northeast. The precipitation

9179-464: The astronomical definition, winter began at the winter solstice on December 21, 2020 and ended at the spring equinox on March 20, 2021. Based on the meteorological definition, the first day of winter was on December 1 and the last day was February 28. However, as illustrated by the late October ice storm and the mid-April nor'easter , winter storms occasionally occur outside of these limits. Since both definitions of winter span

9316-420: The carcinogen benzene , two tons of sulfur dioxide , 12 tons of natural gas, and 34 tons of carbon monoxide . Targa Resources ' Wildcat and Sand Hills natural gas plants released four times the emissions of the nation's largest refinery during the freeze. The combination of below freezing temperatures with no power for heat led people to undertake dangerous ways of heating their homes. Deaths attributed to

9453-429: The coast. There were several winter weather events during the 2020–21 North American winter. Significant events include cold waves, snowstorms, ice storms, blizzards, and other notable events outside the conventional limits of winter. On October 27, a winter storm, unofficially named Winter Storm Billy by The Weather Channel , delivered heavy snow to Colorado , New Mexico , Western Texas , and Kansas , while

9590-421: The costliest on record, with a damage total of at least $ 33.35 billion (2021 USD). The season featured six storms ranking on the Regional Snowfall Index scale (RSI), with four storms ranking as at least a Category 3. Most of the winter's damage and fatalities occurred due to a historic and major cold wave in mid-February . Several other significant events occurred, including a crippling early-season ice storm in

9727-416: The country, and spawning multiple storms along the jet stream track as a result. This weather phenomenon resulted in record low temperatures throughout Texas, with temperatures in Dallas , Austin , Houston and San Antonio falling below temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska . On February 10, a winter storm formed north of the Gulf coast , dropping significant amounts of sleet and ice on many states in

9864-480: The crisis. State officials, including Republican governor Greg Abbott , initially blamed the outages on frozen wind turbines and solar panels . Data showed that failure to winterize power sources, principally natural gas infrastructure but also to a lesser extent wind turbines, had caused the grid failure, with a drop in power production from natural gas more than five times greater than that from wind turbines. Texas's power grid has long been separate from

10001-588: The day and the following morning, the actual temperature fell to −40 °F (−40 °C) in Ash Lake, Minnesota . Meanwhile, in British Columbia , Canada , a woman in Dawson Creek , where the temperature was −42.2 °C (−44.0 °F) at the time, died of prolonged exposure to the cold. The following week widespread record-challenging cold remained in place over central parts of Canada and

10138-419: The day progressed. Winter Storm Warnings were put into effect for portions of southern Pennsylvania and western Maryland. In New York , only Oneida County was put under a winter storm warning, which is unusual as usually winter storm warnings are issued for multiple counties, not just one. The winter storm is estimated to have caused at least $ 120 million (2021 USD) in damages. On January 28, following

10275-435: The energy shortage, Governor Abbott ordered natural gas producers not to export gas out of state and to sell it within Texas instead. He also called for the resignation of ERCOT leaders. Former Representative Beto O'Rourke ran a virtual phone bank to contact over 780,000 seniors across the state. Colorado City, Texas , Mayor Tim Boyd faced extreme backlash after he made comments criticizing citizens for not preparing for

10412-543: The entire month of February being significantly below average. The month ended with a minor snowstorm that affected areas such as Denver in the Rocky Mountains. March began with a cold wave and windstorm in New England, which prompted wind chill warnings in four states and resulted in over 165,000 power outages. Later in the month, a historic and major blizzard impacted the Rocky Mountains with feet of snow, nearly breaking numerous all-time records, especially in

10549-573: The first ice storm resulting in 12 fatalities and the second causing up to 1.5 in (38 mm) of freezing rain accretion. The next two storms were both Category 3 winter storms on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, with the first of the storms causing at least 237 fatalities and about $ 22.5 billion in damage, making it the costliest winter storm on record. The second storm caused at least 29 fatalities and resulted in over $ 2 billion in damage. The last two storms also resulted in

10686-425: The following day, near-zero visibility was reported in the area for hours in a row, causing numerous crashes and bringing parts of Highway 70 to a standstill. Crashes as well as extremely poor road conditions resulted in closures on several major highways, including I-40 and US-287 . Amarillo, Texas saw 5.7 inches (14 cm) of snow and areas to the northeast saw in excess of 6 inches (15 cm). The blizzard

10823-537: The form of a low pressure system off the coast of South Carolina . Ahead of the storm, winter storm warnings were issued from Georgia to Massachusetts. Snow broke out in interior portions of the Carolinas and Virginia; Saluda, North Carolin a and Wise, Virginia picked up 6.3 and 8 inches respectively. Then the storm's effects moved up into the I-95 corridor, where totals exceeding 6 inches were widespread. 9.1 inches

10960-416: The freeway. Ultimately, 133 cars piled in the incident which left motorists trapped in their vehicles. Six people died and sixty-five people were transported to a local hospital. The National Transportation Safety Board performed a safety investigation of the crash, and released a report on January 18, 2023. The storm is estimated to have caused over $ 75 million (2021 USD) in damages. From February 11–12,

11097-400: The grid, a scenario which could have caused equipment to catch fire and power lines to go down, potentially resulting in a much more severe blackout. At the peak, over 5 million people in Texas were without power, with 11 million experiencing an outage at some point, some for more than 3 days. During the period of outages, the wholesale electric price was set to $ 9,000/ megawatt-hour which

11234-443: The hard-hit Houston and Austin areas. Celebrities such as Beyoncé and Reese Witherspoon teamed up with companies to provide monetary relief, donated personally, and supplied donation links to their social media followers to raise relief and awareness. Through his " We're Texas " virtual benefit concert, Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves McConaughey raised over $ 7.7 million to continue support for those affected by

11371-632: The largest power outage in OG&;E history. The Storm led to the United States's most extensive October snow cover since 1967. The ice storm is estimated to have caused over $ 125 million (2020 USD) in damage. There were also two deaths: one in Kansas and one in Texas . The extratropical remnants of Hurricane Zeta combined with the previous winter storm to produce two separate snow events across parts of southern New England and upstate New York on October 29–30. The highest amount of accumulation

11508-582: The latter reached 5 inches (13 cm) per hour at the peak of the storm. Coastal Massachusetts experienced high winds, exceeding 60 mph in gusts, along with the snowfall, causing significant blowing snow. Major cities saw much less but still disruptive amounts of snow, including amounts in Washington D.C. (2.3 inches (5.8 cm)), Philadelphia (6.3 inches (16 cm)), New York City (10.5 inches (27 cm)), Pittsburgh (11.5 inches (29 cm)), and Boston (12.7 inches (32 cm)), ending

11645-438: The likelihood of a La Niña pattern developing during most of the winter. The forecast called for warmer than average temperatures across much of the southern and southwestern United States, as well as the East Coast , with cooler than average temperatures in the far northwestern United States. Near-average temperatures were expected in the Midwest. The forecast also called for drier than average conditions across almost all of

11782-712: The low from the Gulf of Mexico. The southern system moved east then northeastward towards the Appalachian Mountains . The low from Canada came from Manitoba and moved southeastward towards the Great Lakes region. On November 30, snowfall was recorded in cities such as Toledo , Detroit , Chicago , and Cleveland . The next day on December 1 snowfall started in Pittsburgh . The system also produced heavy rainfall, high winds, and several weak tornadoes to

11919-591: The low temperatures with animal sanctuaries and veterinary clinics identifying an increase in hypothermia cases in the animals. Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration on February 12, whereby he mobilized various departments including the Texas Military Department for snow clearance and assistance to stranded motorists. As the situation worsened, Governor Abbott requested a Federal Emergency Declaration on February 13, which President Biden approved on February 14. In an effort to alleviate

12056-593: The month on the morning of February 16, with a low temperature of −17 °F [−27 °C]. Two days prior, a record-low high of −4 °F [−20 °C] was recorded. On February 16, Little Rock experienced a temperature of −1 °F [−18 °C], which was the coldest since 1989, with all-time low temperatures being set in Fayetteville, Arkansas (−20 °F [−29 °C]) and Hastings, Nebraska (−30 °F [−34 °C]). Del Rio, Texas picked up 9.7 inches (25 cm) of snow from February 17–18, breaking

12193-786: The mountains overnight. By the next morning, the rain-snow line had pushed as far east as the eastern Massachusetts coast. Heavy snowfall fell throughout the day on April 16, with snowfall rates of 1.5 in (3.8 cm) and higher being reported. The higher elevations saw a widespread 6+ inches (15+ cm) of snow, and Spofford, New Hampshire saw the highest total during the storm of 13 inches (33 cm). The cities of Billings, Montana and Fargo, North Dakota experienced their longest streak of sub-zero (0 °F [−18 °C]) temperatures since at least 1983 and 1996, respectively. Des Moines, Iowa experienced its sixth-coldest February on record with an average temperature of 15.2 °F [−9.3 °C]. The city recorded its coldest temperature of

12330-505: The next storm brought light to moderate snow to the Rocky Mountains . Then, energy from that storm later caused a significant icing event in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachians . From Kentucky to North Carolina , 480,000 customers were left without power. Additionally, downed trees and powerlines caused significant disruption in Virginia , where a winter weather state of emergency was placed into effect. The first ever ice storm warning

12467-426: The night of February 17 instead of resetting the prices the following day. Power generation entities benefited from the inflated prices, but retail companies and entities that buy the generated power to sell directly to consumers have gone bankrupt. February 2021 North American ice storm The 2020–21 North American winter was the most significant winter season to affect North America in several years, and

12604-639: The night, with wind chill advisories being issued once again in many areas. In Rochester , the low on January 30 was 3 °F (−16 °C), after a high of 17 °F (−8 °C) the day before. Following a series of weaker winter storms impacting the United States, another arrived on the West Coast . The night of January 26 into January 27, Northern California experienced extreme wind gusts, peaking at 125 mph (201 km/h) near Alpine Meadows . The winds downed trees onto powerlines and homes, causing >400,000 customers to lose power. Additionally,

12741-640: The nor'easter made landfall in coastal New England while brushing the coastline. Precipitation initially began as heavy rain but as the storm progressed northward, heavy wet snow broke out in Massachusetts , New Hampshire and Maine , resulting in over 280,000 customers without power. 12.5 inches (32 cm) of snow fell in Paxton , Massachusetts , and areas in Maine saw up to 18 inches (46 cm) of snow. By midday December 6, only flurries lingered over

12878-543: The other moving out over the Atlantic Ocean . This storm, along with various other storms from the previous two weeks, resulted in over 75% of the contiguous U.S. being covered in snow. This storm was directly responsible for nearly 10 million people losing power, with 5.2 million in the U.S. and 4.7 million in Mexico . A third winter storm caused an additional 4 million power outages, and 29 deaths, with 23 in

13015-535: The pipe network. People were seen collecting water from the San Antonio River Walk with trash cans. Due to the inclement weather conditions and extensive power outages, most grocery stores statewide could not keep up with the increased demand for food and sundry items. Many stores were forced to close due to lack of power; the few that remained open completely ran out of most staple food items like bread, milk, and eggs. Officials also warned that

13152-679: The process. The storm killed at least 237 people, including 223 in the United States and 14 in Mexico. This storm is estimated to have caused over $ 25.5 billion (2021 USD) in damages, including at least $ 24 billion in the United States and over $ 1.5 billion in Mexico, making it the costliest winter storm recorded in U.S. history and worldwide. A fourth storm brought a record-breaking 9 inches (23 cm) of snow to Del Rio, Texas and threatened Little Rock, Arkansas 's snowfall record with 11.8 inches (30 cm) falling there. It brought Little Rock's snow cover up to 15 inches (38 cm), breaking

13289-501: The record. This is well below the typical low temperature of 35 °F (2 °C). Highs that day struggled to get into the 40s. Parts of New Jersey get as low as 20 °F (−7 °C) after Zeta dropped snow in the northern portion of the state, accumulating to 2.4 inches (6.1 cm) in High Point State Park . On November 29, two low pressure systems, one from the Gulf of Mexico and one from Canada , formed

13426-502: The risk of pipes freezing as the demand for water in the city was more than 2.5 times the amount supplied on the previous day. The city had lost more than 325 million US gallons (1.23 × 10  L) of water due to burst pipes by February 18, according to Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros. Nearly 12 million people were advised to boil their tap water before consumption due to low water pressure throughout

13563-464: The shortages could be long term, stating that 60% of the region's grapefruit crop and 100% of the orange crop were lost due to the weather. The inclement weather caused many fire hydrants to be unusable in emergency situations. In one case, firefighters near the San Antonio area had to rely on water tenders to deliver between 2,000 and 3,000 gallons of water to the scene of a fire as the hydrant

13700-447: The southeastern and southwestern United States, and wetter than average conditions in much of the northern tier and Midwest, with near-average precipitation in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest. On November 30, 2020, Environment Canada released its winter outlook for December, January and February as part of their monthly climate outlooks. The agency predicted near to above average temperatures across most of Canada; particularly in

13837-650: The southern regions of the nation, such as southern British Columbia , southern Ontario , Quebec , and especially Atlantic Canada . Below average temperatures were expected to develop in the northern regions of the providences, as well in the northern Canadian Prairies due to the polar vortex and La Nina. Above average precipitation was forecasted to occur in British Columbia, southern Quebec, and quite evidently Atlantic Canada as well. Winter weather events began in late October in North America, with

13974-566: The start of the calendar year, it is possible to have a winter storm in two different years, as shown by the New Year's winter storm this season. Much of the country saw some form of winter weather and often significant impacts as a result, reflected by the numerous storms rated on the RSI. In mid-December, a significant Category 2 nor'easter affected much of the Northeastern United States with heavy snow and ice. Over 3 ft (0.91 m) of snow

14111-524: The state during a crisis and traveling internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later that day, Cruz returned back to Texas admitting that the vacation was a mistake, receiving further criticism for appearing to blame his young daughters for the trip, claiming they begged him to go. Cruz on February 22 tweeted the news about the hike of electricity rates in Texas, calling "(s)tate and local regulators should act swiftly to prevent this injustice". This

14248-728: The state on February 14. Some parts of the state experienced temperatures over 50 °F below normal. Records from over a century were broken: on February 16, daily record lows were broken in Oklahoma City (−14 °F [−26 °C], coldest since 1899 and the second-coldest on record), Dallas (−2 °F [−19 °C], coldest since 1930 and the second-coldest on record), Houston (13 °F [−11 °C], coldest since 1989), San Antonio (12 °F [−11 °C], coldest since 1989) and Little Rock (−1 °F [−18 °C], coldest since 1989), with all-time low temperatures being set in Fayetteville, Arkansas (−20 °F [−29 °C]) and Hastings, Nebraska (−30 °F [−34 °C]). This put

14385-420: The state's lack of preparedness for such storms, and to a report from U.S. federal regulators ten years earlier that had warned Texas that its power plants would fail in sufficiently cold conditions. Damages due to the cold wave and winter storm were estimated to be at least $ 195 billion, likely the most expensive disaster in the state's history. According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) ,

14522-409: The statewide officials to turn a blind eye to it." By February 17, at least 21 people died from causes related to the winter storm. By February 19, the number was updated to at least 32 people who died, with deaths linked to carbon monoxide poisoning, car crashes, drownings, house fires and hypothermia. On February 21, the death toll had increased to 70. As of January 2, 2022, the total loss of life

14659-416: The storm caused an atmospheric river event over parts of the state still recovering from burn scars due to the previous wildfire season, causing several mudslides, one of which destroyed a portion of Highway 1. The combination of extreme winds and extremely intense precipitation caused blizzard conditions near Weed . Once the storm system began to move inland, Winter Storm Watches were issued in some areas of

14796-668: The storm include cases of carbon monoxide poisoning from people running their cars or generators indoors for heating. At least 300 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning were reported. The state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas was somewhat hampered by the power outage. Water and grid supply were cut off from hospitals. Hospitals still were able to operate with their own power generators. Shipments of vaccines were delayed and facilities that would not be able to store vaccines properly were asked to transfer vaccines to those who could. In most cases, vaccinations were delayed because it

14933-400: The storm moves in with high winds, gusting up to 67 miles per hour (108 km/h). After the storm moved through, temperatures dropped rapidly, hitting 49 °F (9 °C) by noon, and 32 °F (0 °C) by midnight. During the storm, Burlington, VT set a record high for Christmas at 65 °F (18 °C). Some spots in northern New England saw higher temperatures on Christmas then

15070-577: The storm, an Arctic air outbreak began to take shape in southern Canada, and the next day the cold air reached New England. Wind chill advisories were issued in northern and central New England, as well as in upstate New York. Wind chills ranged from −10 °F (−23 °C) to −25 °F (−32 °C) in many of these areas during the morning of January 29. Actual high temperatures failed to reach 20 °F (−7 °C) in many areas in New England and upstate New York, with wind chill highs barely reaching 0 °F (−18 °C). The cold air lingered into

15207-783: The storm. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez organized a fundraiser to provide food, water, and shelter to affected Texans, raising $ 2 million in its first day. She followed up with a trip to Houston to help alongside volunteers with recovery. She along with other Democrats toured the damage left behind by the storm as well as distribution centers and delivery sites. In the end, she raised $ 4.7 million. Power outages in Harris County , Texas's most populated counties and one of its most affected, returned to normal around February 22, 2021. Boil-water advisories lasted in some areas of Texas until February 27, 2021. On February 16, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott declared that ERCOT reform

15344-546: The system caused a damaging windstorm just east of the Rocky Mountains , with gusts of up to 125 mph (201 km/h) in some areas. It then moved into the Great Plains and Upper Midwest, bringing damaging winds along with heavy snow, prompting Winter Storm and Blizzard Warnings in many of those areas. The surface low pressure later moved into the Upper Midwest, bringing blustery conditions and snow to much of

15481-468: The winter storm and stating: "the strong will survive and the weak will perish." He resigned following the controversy. Senator Ted Cruz faced heavy scrutiny over his trip to Cancún, Mexico . Though he initially claimed he was dropping off his wife and daughters, text messages from his wife revealed the hastily planned nature of the trip as an escape from the freezing conditions. He received condemnation from his political allies and rivals for leaving

15618-601: The wintry weather. Up to 0.5 inches (13 mm) of ice accretion was reported in parts of Virginia , West Virginia and North Carolina . 10.2 inches (26 cm) of snow fell in Norristown, Pennsylvania . The storm brought Philadelphia 's total seasonal snowfall total to 22.5 inches (57 cm), which is exactly average. The system killed at least 29 people, and it is estimated to have caused at least $ 2 billion (2021 USD) in damages. On February 28, an Arctic airmass began working its way south into southern Canada, behind

15755-552: Was 6.5 inches (17 cm), which was recorded in Grafton, Massachusetts . This early-season snowstorm resulted in some downed tree branches in the region. The snowstorm also caused slippery road surfaces, leading to numerous crashes, some serious, in the state of Massachusetts. The cold front associated with Zeta dropped temperatures on the morning of October 31 to 19 °F (−7 °C) in Albany, New York , just one degree shy of

15892-486: Was also followed by a flash freeze overnight on March 17, resulting in a freeze-up of snow-covered roadways and more crashes overnight. On April 14, Winter Storm Watches were issued in much of interior New England , and the next day, watches were expanded and Winter Storm Warnings were also issued. Much of interior New England was expected to see over 10 inches (25 cm) of snow. Precipitation initially started as rain on April 15, but slowly changed over to snow in

16029-457: Was criticized as hypocrisy because Cruz had been a strong advocate of the Texan power grid deregulation, one of the major cited reasons which led to this mass power outage. Former governor Rick Perry said, "Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business." On February 14, President Biden declared that an emergency existed in

16166-479: Was cut, it disabled some compressors that push gas through pipelines, knocking out further gas plants due to lack of supply. ERCOT was aware on February 13 that blackouts would be likely and the grid would have to shut off more than 10% of its demand. The next day, electricity demand exceeded 67.2 gigawatts, higher than what the grid operator had ever planned for in extreme winter weather. Overnight ERCOT ordered utilities to drop several thousand megawatts of load, but

16303-587: Was enough generation for "normal" winter weather. On March 1, 2021, DeAnn T. Walker, the chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission (PUC), the Texas agency responsible for overseeing ERCOT and the state's electricity grid, resigned after a week of tough questioning from Texas legislators at a round of hearings. Governor Greg Abbott , who had originally appointed Walker, filled the vacant chairperson position by promoting PUC Commissioner Arthur D'Andrea two days later. On March 9, 2021, D'Andrea

16440-494: Was generally all rain along the coast, but interior sections saw some snow from the system. Major Canadian cities such as Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City saw over 20 cm (7.9 in) of heavy wet snow on January 15–17, causing 46,000 customers to lose power in Quebec. It is estimated to have caused at least $ 525 million (2021 USD) in damage. On January 25, snow began accumulating in portions of Nebraska and Iowa as

16577-616: Was issued for the Greater Richmond Region as well. The 6.1 in (15 cm) of snowfall in Portland, Oregon on February 12 ties the airport monthly record of 6.1 in (15 cm) set Feb 19, 1993. The event proved to be historic for the Portland metropolitan area in the month of February. Some areas in Oregon saw up to 1.5 in (38 mm) of ice accretion. A third, unusually significant winter storm impacted

16714-531: Was necessary. ERCOT said that some generators since then implemented new winter "best practices," but these were on a voluntary basis and mandatory regulation had not been established. This is likely due to ERCOT's independence of the FERC therefore not having the necessary budget to upgrade the power grid to withstand colder weather after the recommendation during efforts to increase renewable energy sources. Unlike other power interconnections, Texas does not require

16851-417: Was not winterized , leaving it vulnerable to extended periods of cold weather. Natural gas power generating facilities had equipment freeze up and faced shortages of fuel. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and some other politicians initially said renewable energy sources were the cause for the power outages, citing frozen wind turbines as an example of their unreliability. Viral images of a helicopter de-icing

16988-437: Was not only insufficient power generation capacity online, but also insufficient natural gas supply to the power plants. The failure of some gas distribution infrastructure, which had not been adequately winterized, resulted in exceedingly high prices for natural gas. Some gas compressor stations lost power when utilities began shutdowns, and overall gas supply fell by 85%. University of Texas professor Michael Webber said, "This

17125-491: Was recorded reassuring utility investors that he would protect their profits in a 48-minute call that was later leaked to the press. D'Andrea resigned his post a week later, two hours after the call was leaked. At issue is $ 16 billion in alleged overcharges that accrued when the PUC issued orders requiring ERCOT set the price of electricity at the $ 9,000-a-megawatt-hour maximum for nearly two days after widespread outages ended late

17262-423: Was reported across a swath in the interior Northeast, and the system caused seven fatalities. In early February, a major Category 3 nor'easter, which started out as a winter storm on the West Coast , impacted an even larger area with heavy snow, also causing seven fatalities. In mid-February, a series of two major Category 3 winter storms brought a swath of widespread snow and ice from the Pacific Northwest , through

17399-571: Was reported near Westwood , New Jersey , 6.5 inches at JFK International Airport , 8 and 7.4 inches at North Haven and Bridgeport Airport in Connecticut , 14 inches at Pascoag, Rhode Island and 12 inches in Norfolk, Massachusetts . Afterwards, the storm affected Atlantic Canada , where up to 50 cm of snow fell in Halifax . As a result, across the entire region, public transportation

17536-591: Was reported on highways in South Dakota , Minnesota , and Nebraska , as Highway Patrol warned people to stay off the roads. Locations in far northern Minnesota and Wisconsin accumulated over a foot of snow. The storm system responsible for the blizzard also brought severe weather to the East Coast ; the Storm Prediction Center issued an "Enhanced" risk of severe weather for eastern North Carolina and nearby portions of South Carolina and Virginia on December 24. Five tornadoes were reported in

17673-423: Was reported to be 246, with deaths in 77 counties. Victims included children less than a year old to elderly up to 102 years old. Reports found that almost two-thirds died of hypothermia and that 148 deaths were directly caused by the storm, 92 deaths were indirectly caused by the storm, and 6 deaths were found as possibly caused by the storm. In addition to equipment problems, demand for electricity in Texas hit

17810-561: Was shut down, government offices and schools were closed, postal services were delayed and the regular ferry crossing service in the Cabot Channel was suspended. Wind chill advisories and wind chill warnings were issued from eastern Montana into Wisconsin and all the way to northern Illinois in early February. On February 7, in International Falls, Minnesota , the wind chill was −46 °C (−51 °F) early in

17947-655: Was the "system cap" set by ERCOT, compared to a more typical $ 25/MWh. Customers with pricing plans based on wholesale prices who had power faced large bills. Some Griddy customers signed up for wholesale variable rates plans allowed by the Texas deregulated electricity market found themselves facing over $ 5,000 bills for five days of service during the storm. Wholesale prices were kept at an artificially inflated level of $ 9,000 for about four days, an amount normally only hit momentarily, in fear of instability even after electricity demand dropped. Total Texas electricity costs on February 16 alone reached $ 10.3 billion, greater than

18084-483: Was the lowest pressure ever observed within the Bering Sea since a similar cyclone in November 2014 spawned by the remnants of Typhoon Nuri . Hurricane force wind warnings were issued for parts of the Aleutian Islands as well. An upper-level low formed in the Gulf of Mexico and came ashore on December 30–31, and snow, freezing rain and sleet began to fall on December 30, prompting winter storm warnings across

18221-533: Was the snowiest October on record in Spokane, Washington , with a record 7.5 inches (19 cm) falling there. Great Falls, Montana also saw their snowiest October on record, as did Boston . In Mankato, Minnesota a high temperature of 28 °F (−2 °C) made it the coldest October high temperature in the town. The Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, Massachusetts saw 3.6 inches (9.1 cm) of snow from

18358-551: Was tied in Sioux Falls, South Dakota . International Falls, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota ranked second. In the city of Saltillo , temperatures reached as low as −4.5 °C (23.9 °F) early on February 16 as bitterly cold air continental polar surged south from Canada and the United States into Mexico. They were the coldest temperatures reported within the city since the Early 2014 North American cold wave . This

18495-459: Was too dangerous for people to travel. About 1000 doses of vaccine were lost as a result of problems. Due to the continued power outages across the state, many were faced with freezing temperatures in their homes increasing a risk of hypothermia . The freezing temperatures potentially caused the death of an 11-year old boy, an 84-year-old widow, and a 75-year-old veteran, among others. Zoo, domesticated, and wild animals were also at risk due to

18632-540: Was unable to say if there was price gouging. Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has not announced investigations into energy prices. Five members of ERCOT unaffiliated with Texas entities resigned due to the power failures. All five lived out of state and one lived in Canada. The ERCOT board of directors voted to fire its CEO, Bill Magness, who turned down his $ 800,000 severance package. ERCOT admitted that there could be blackouts in winter 2022, reporting that there

18769-506: Was unusable. Plumbing in buildings throughout the state burst due to freezing. Structures were damaged by water and streets were flooded. A shortage of plumbers, in part due to excessive licensing requirements kept in place by Governor Abbott despite the legislature removing them, led to months-long waits for repairs. Significant releases of pollutants due to stopping and starting fossil fuel infrastructure such as chemical plants and fuel refineries were reported. These included one ton of

#229770