As a winter storm expected to sweep across much of the United States this week will bring bitter cold and put more than 175 million people at risk of power outages and major travel disruptions, US President Donald Trump attacked climate change activists on Friday.
Trump took to Truth Social and said: “Record cold snap expected to hit 40 states. Rarely seen before. Can environmental rebels please explain – WHAT HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???”
On January 7 (local time), Trump signed a memorandum ordering the withdrawal of the United States from international organizations, conventions and treaties deemed “contrary to the interests” of the country. The move was detailed in a White House statement outlining the presidential memoranda, which said the US would withdraw from 35 non-UN organizations and 31 United Nations entities.
Non-UN organizations affected include the International Solar Alliance, led by India and France, as well as major environmental organizations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Winter storms in the USA
Winter Storm Fern is expected to sweep across a huge swath of land, stretching from Texas and the Great Plains to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Forecasters warn the system could span nearly 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) and cover more than half of the continental United States, according to AFP.
The storm is expected to reach its peak on Friday, with Texas already declaring a state of emergency ahead of the dangerous conditions. Forecasters say parts of the mid-Atlantic could get more than a foot of snow, with Virginia and Maryland expected to be among the hardest hit as arctic air settles in.
The US weather channels issued stark outlooks, warning of “crippling ice” and a 1,500-mile (2,414-kilometer) “snow zone” where record snowfalls could occur. They also warned that the freezing rain could damage trees and critical power infrastructure. In New York, the nation’s financial center and largest urban area, snow totals could reach up to 12 inches, according to the Weather Channel.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation pre-salted highways, while the state Highway Patrol canceled trooper days off to increase road staffing and said it was working with the National Guard to deploy teams to help stranded motorists.
“Travel will become increasingly treacherous beginning late Friday afternoon and continuing through the rest of the weekend,” the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, posted online.
Oklahoma City Public Schools officials also canceled all classes and activities Friday due to forecasts predicting worsening road conditions, according to the AP.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 800 scheduled flights within the United States, arriving at or departing from the United States, were delayed or canceled Friday ahead of the approaching storm, including flights at airports in Dallas, Atlanta and Oklahoma.
