The Midwest's 'snowpocalypse' predictions: By the numbers
The worst storm of the season is expected to hit the Midwest in the next couple of days, and prognosticators aren't stinting on the hyperbole
"Do not travel! Stay inside!" is the alert from the National Weather Service, regarding a "life-threatening storm" that's hitting the Midwest Tuesday before sweeping across to the East Coast. The "potentially historic and destructive" storm is expected to be the worst of this already unusually harsh winter, and one of the biggest in recent years. As experts warn of blizzards, ice storms and sleet, bitter cold and civilization-stalling amounts of snow, here's a look at the latest "snowpocalypse" 2011, by the numbers:
100 million
Estimated number of people who could be affected by the storm
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
1/3
Portion of U.S. population potentially affected by the storm
8
Number of states under blizzard warnings, as of Tuesday
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
328
Number of flights canceled nationwide, as of Monday afternoon
-50 degrees
Expected temperature, with wind chill, in Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas, and Kansas
2 feet
Amount of snow expected in some areas, including St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Kansas City
4 tons
Amount of ice-melt pellets Do it Best Hardware, near St. Louis, sold in four hours Monday
600
Number of National Guard troops mobilized in Missouri to deal with the storm
40 mph
Expected wind speeds in ice storm hitting Indiana
11,030
Number of Indianapolis residents without power as of Tuesday morning
20 inches
Predicted snowfall in Chicago
23 inches
Chicago's heaviest-ever snowstorm, in January 1967
19
The average number of years between storms of this size in Chicago
394
Number of plow trucks (and modified garbage trucks) Chicago has at the ready
60 mph
Predicted speed of wind gusts in the Windy City
5 inches
Predicted snowfall in central and Western Texas
Sources: Bloomberg Businessweek, NPR, Weather Channel, AP, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Indy 6 News, AFP, Time
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why are meteorologists worried Trump could ruin their forecasts?
Today's Big Question How a conservative push to dismantle a little-known government agency could lead to big headaches for anyone hoping to get a handle on their local weather
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Such wrongdoing encourages foreign corrupt practices'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Japan's new prime minister govern effectively?
In The Spotlight A 'popular gadfly' gets the top job
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published