ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday and will stay put for days to come, as the snow-hardened city of Erie, Pennsylvania, digs out from a record snowfall.
Forecasters warned of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.
Wind chill advisories or warnings were in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York. Those places and states in the northern Plains and Great Lakes were projected to see highs in the teens or single-digits, and lows below zero for the rest of the week and into the new year.
The National Weather Service said wind chills in some areas Thursday could make temperatures feel below zero.
Meanwhile, Erie was recovering from a storm that brought 34 inches of snow on Christmas Day, smashing the all-time daily snowfall record for the Great Lakes city of 8 inches, and 26.5 more inches on Tuesday. More than 65 inches have fallen on the city since Christmas Eve, with several more inches falling Wednesday as residents dug out in frigid temperatures.
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Soledda Hernandez stands on the roof of her car as she brushes off snow in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Snow continues to fall in Erie and surrounding areas that already have seen a record amount of snow over the past few days, prompting a disaster emergency declaration. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessSoledda Hernandez stands on the roof of her car as she brushes off snow in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Snow continues to fall in Erie and surrounding areas that already have seen a record amount of
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City of Erie traffic engineering employee Chuck Carnes Jr. uses compressed air to clear snow from a traffic signal in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Carnes was part of a two-man crew clearing signals after a record-setting snowfall. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessCity of Erie traffic engineering employee Chuck Carnes Jr. uses compressed air to clear snow from a traffic signal in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Carnes was part of a two-man crew clearing signals
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Pedestrians try to keep warm by covering their faces while walking in Times Square, New York, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday, and the snow-hardened city of Erie, Pa., dug out from a record snowfall.
lessPedestrians try to keep warm by covering their faces while walking in Times Square, New York, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States
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Pedestrians try to keep warm while walking in New York's Times Square, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday, and the snow-hardened city of Erie, Pa., dug out from a record snowfall.
lessPedestrians try to keep warm while walking in New York's Times Square, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday, and the
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Pedestrians try to keep warm while walking in New York's Times Square, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday, and the snow-hardened city of Erie, Pa., dug out from a record snowfall.
lessPedestrians try to keep warm while walking in New York's Times Square, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday, and the
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Tim Christmore uses a rake to get his canoe through the ice-covered Little Arkansas River in Wichita, Kan., on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. (Fernando Salazar/The Wichita Eagle via AP)
Tim Christmore uses a rake to get his canoe through the ice-covered Little Arkansas River in Wichita, Kan., on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. (Fernando Salazar/The Wichita Eagle via AP)
Photo: Fernando Salazar, AP
People bundle up to walk down Wentworth Avenue on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Chicago. Temperatures hovered around zero degrees in Chicago on Tuesday. Meteorologists warn of sub-zero frigid arctic air and dangerously cold wind chills.(Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune via AP)
lessPeople bundle up to walk down Wentworth Avenue on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Chicago. Temperatures hovered around zero degrees in Chicago on Tuesday. Meteorologists warn of sub-zero frigid arctic air and
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A man walks his dog across the snow covered beach while a cargo ship sits in the steaming fog of Lake Ontario in Toronto on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Cold temperatures have covered much of North America bringing arctic like conditions. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
lessA man walks his dog across the snow covered beach while a cargo ship sits in the steaming fog of Lake Ontario in Toronto on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Cold temperatures have covered much of North America
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Rochelle Carlotti, 28, shovels steps near her home after a record snowfall on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessRochelle Carlotti, 28, shovels steps near her home after a record snowfall on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow,
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Workers from the City of Erie clear snow after a record snowfall on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessWorkers from the City of Erie clear snow after a record snowfall on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an
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A man clears snow on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. Another 19 inches fell before dawn Tuesday, making the greatest two-day total in commonwealth history. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessA man clears snow on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. Another 19
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Patrick Harden clears snow from the roof of his car on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. Another 19 inches fell before dawn Tuesday, making the greatest two-day total in commonwealth history. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessPatrick Harden clears snow from the roof of his car on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, in Erie, Pa. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says Monday's storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily
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Erie, Pa., residents on East 24th Street dig out on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, after a record two-day snowfall. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says the storm brought 34 inches on Christmas Day, a new all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
lessErie, Pa., residents on East 24th Street dig out on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, after a record two-day snowfall. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says the storm brought 34 inches on Christmas Day, a
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Days of shoveling snow, bitter cold ahead for northern US
Strong westerly winds over Lake Erie picked up moisture, developed into snow and converged with opposing winds, dumping snow in a band along the shore from Ohio to New York, said Zach Sefcovic, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Cleveland.
Sabrina Ram, 33, drove into Erie on Christmas Eve to visit her parents just as the snow began to fall. Ram, who lives in suburban Washington, and her father spent five hours on Christmas and two hours Tuesday clearing the driveway.
"In D.C., we'd be out of commission for weeks," Ram said. "Things here are pretty much back to normal now."
She said she was going to build a snowman, but didn't know where to start — "where do you put it?" — and she went outside to clear off the satellite dish before falling face first into the snow, because she couldn't figure out where the porch ended.
"I totally just flew forward while my dad laughed at me," Ram said.
In New York, communities near Lake Ontario's eastern end, including Redfield and Boylston, also saw around 5 feet of snow this week.
The storm's timing was good, since people were off the streets and staying home for Christmas, giving plows more space to clear streets, officials said.
By Wednesday, Erie's roads were relatively clear, emergency calls were relatively slow and the big task was digging out, Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper said.
"We're used to a lot of snow here in Erie, but this is unprecedented, the amount we got," Dahlkemper said.
In Millcreek, outside Erie, it took Kathleen Palkovic and her 23-year-old son two hours to shovel out so Palkovic could make it to her waitressing job. The 5-mile drive to Dave's Diner in downtown Erie took an hour. The 62-year-old Palkovic and the cook opened the restaurant at a little after 6 a.m. in single digit temperatures.
"We're dedicated people, I guess," Palkovic said. Something else helped: "It took 800 milligrams of ibuprofen after all that to get me to work."
http://www.timesunion.com/news/us/article/Days-of-bitter-cold-ahead-for-Midwest-Northeast-12456637.php
