Snowstorms close schools, offices across much of the US: NPR

A plow clears a parking lot during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Joshua A. Bickel/AP

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Joshua A. Bickel/AP

Closures and states of emergency are being announced in the Central Plains, Midwest and East Coast regions of the United States, as a snowstorm is expected to move through several states in these regions in the coming days.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.

Six to 12 inches of snow are expected from Ohio to DC by Monday morning. More than 240,000 customers were without power early Monday morning in West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, according to Poweroutage.us.

Governors in several states affected by the snowstorm declared a state of emergency, beginning early last week and continuing through last weekend.

“A state of preparedness enhances the state’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to potential hazards and threats before they escalate and provides an easy avenue for information sharing and coordination,” the governor said of Maryland, Wes Moore, in a statement.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said: “This winter storm will likely cause significant disruptions and dangerous conditions on our roadways and could cause significant power outages – just 24 hours before it gets dangerously cold. »

Several county school systems in affected states will be closed Monday, as well as in cities including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Louisville.

In Washington, DC, the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will be closed Monday. Non-emergency federal employees in Washington will work remotely on Monday as offices will be closed.

Winter storms have also affected air travel across the United States. More than 400 flights to or from the United States were delayed early Monday morning, according to tracking platform FlightAware. More than 1,200 other flights were canceled.