The United States recently experienced a historic winter storm, with heavy snowfall blanketing various parts of the country, creating a vast expanse of white landscape. Satellite images shared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed that the inland and eastern regions of the United States were also covered in a blanket of white.
NASA stated that a powerful winter storm swept across the United States in late January, stretching from the southwest to the New England region, forming a broad snow belt. This blizzard, accompanied by severe cold, sleet, and freezing conditions, resulted in extremely dangerous traffic situations, leading to the collapse of power lines and the closure of numerous schools.
On the afternoon of January 26, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite captured images showing large areas of the United States covered in heavy snow.
Preliminary data from the National Weather Service indicated that snow depths in some areas of Oklahoma reached 12 inches (30 cm) from January 23 to 26, with larger accumulations in the central-western and New England regions. The total snowfall in several northeastern states was around 20 inches (51 cm).
Residents in some areas were working hard to clear record-breaking daily snowfall. For instance, St. Louis, Missouri received as much as 5.1 inches (13 cm) of snow on January 24, while Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania saw a snowfall of 11.2 inches (28 cm) on January 25.
Parts of North Texas also experienced several inches of sleet, which is rare in the region. Due to temperatures remaining below freezing in many areas, snow and ice accumulation were expected to persist.
NASA’s Disaster Response Coordination System has been activated to support various agencies in responding to this winter storm.
As the United States braved freezing weather conditions, meteorologist Jennifer McDermed from Minneapolis, Minnesota shared a peculiar sight on social media where spaghetti froze mid-air due to the extreme cold temperatures in the city.
McDermed posted on platform X, “Minneapolis hit a low of -21°F (-29.4°C) this morning with wind chills as low as -45°F (-42.8°C)! Looks like it’s time for a spaghetti experiment!”
She also shared a video of this “spaghetti experiment,” which has garnered over 9.5 million views to date.
In addition, American magician and internet personality Justin Flom shared a video showcasing how he managed to make a roll of toilet paper “stand” on the ground without any support in low temperatures.
Click here to watch the video.
Click here to watch Flom’s video.