Winter Storm Blair paralyzes US: five dead, thousands affected
A tractor-trailer that went off the road during Winter Storm Blair in 2025. Missouri State Highway Patrol/Facebook
A brutal winter storm, named Winter Storm Blair by the Weather Channel, has claimed at least five lives while wreaking havoc across multiple US states.
The storm has caused mass school closures, travel disruptions, and widespread power outages.
Seven states—Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas—declared emergencies in response to the extreme weather driven by a polar vortex. More than 2,300 flights were canceled, with nearly 9,000 delays reported, as icy conditions blanketed vast regions.
According to Poweroutage.us, over 200,000 people were left without electricity by Monday night. Snow and sleet are forecast to persist across much of the northeastern US on Tuesday, with Arctic air expected to maintain icy conditions for weeks, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported.
Washington DC, recorded 5–9 inches (13–23 cm) of snow, with some areas in Maryland and Virginia seeing up to a foot.
The city’s weather emergency prompted closures of federal offices and schools. Amid the chaos, residents engaged in a 15-year-old tradition of snowball fights near the Washington Monument, while former Olympic skier Clare Egan found herself cross-country skiing on the National Mall.
In Missouri, 365 car crashes were reported, resulting in dozens of injuries and at least one fatality.
Kansas saw two storm-related deaths in a car crash, while a person in Houston, Texas, was found dead from cold exposure. Virginia also faced 300 car crashes, with authorities urging residents to avoid travel.
