Harsh weather moved west on Monday as a polar vortex was expected to grip the Rockies and northern Plains after winter storms pummeled the eastern U.S. over the weekend, killing at least 12 people, including at least 11 in Kentucky who died during flooding from heavy rains.
The National Weather Service warned of “life-threatening cold” into Tuesday, with temperatures in northeastern Montana predicted to dip as low as 45 degrees below zero with wind chills down to 60 below.
Dangerously cold wind chill temperatures as low as 50 below zero were expected in most of North Dakota, which remained under an “extreme cold warning” along with large swaths of South Dakota and Minnesota, according to the weather service.
What’s more, the weather service said , “Heavy snow will move from the northern Rockies to the central Plains by early Tuesday. A swath of significant snow and ice will likely move from the central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic states Tuesday through early Thursday.”
Meteorologists said several states would experience the tenth and coldest polar vortex event this season. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually stays near the North Pole into the U.S. and Europe.
In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday morning that the death toll had risen to at least 11 in his state.
“That number may still grow,” Beshear said while giving an update on the state’s response.Beshear said on “CBS Mornings” that rescue operations were expected to continue Monday.
“In many ways, this is one of the biggest flooding events we’ve had, in some areas just since 2022, because we’ve been hit hard. In other areas, one of the biggest floods ever,” Beshear said. “And it’s basically happening in the middle of multiple snowstorms. So we always think we’ve seen it all and then we get hit by something else.”
Beshear said Sunday that at least 1,000 people stranded by floods had to be rescued. “The speed of those rescues is thankfully decreasing as the water has either crested or is going down in many areas of the state, but there are still some significant active missions that are going on right now that are very important,” the governor said Monday.
Beshear said snow that’s forecast to hit the state later in the week would complicate flood response efforts. “We’re going to have to make sure that we’ve got everyone who is displaced because of this flooding in a warm place for the days that are coming ahead,” the governor said.
President Trump approved Kentucky’s request for a disaster declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts throughout the state.
Beshear said most of the deaths, including a mother and 7-year-old child, were caused by cars getting stuck in high water.
“So folks, stay off the roads right now and stay alive,” he said.
The Kentucky River Medical Center in the city of Jackson said it had closed its emergency department and transferred all patients to two other hospitals in the region due to a nearby river flooding.
High winds brought down trees and power poles across Albermarle County, Virginia. The Charlottesville Police Department said Sunday on social media that officers’ response times could be delayed due to “an overwhelming number of weather-related calls for service.” Police urged residents to stay off the roads.
In West Virginia, 13 southern counties were under a state of emergency for flooding and some areas were cut off to vehicle traffic Sunday. Several volunteer fire departments dealt with flooding in their own buildings while answering rescue and evacuation calls.
Ice and snow made road travel treacherous in large swaths of Michigan, which remained under a winter weather advisory until Monday afternoon. Michigan State Police reported 114 crashes Sunday around the Detroit area since snow started falling Saturday.
“Fortunately, most were one-car spin outs and there were no serious injuries,” Michigan State Police said on X.
Authorities in Colorado reported eight people were killed in fatal vehicle crashes since Valentine’s Day and warned drivers to be cautious as the weather made driving more difficult. The causes of the fatal crashes weren’t immediately known.
Also in Colorado, three state patrol cruisers that had pulled over along roadsides were struck by other vehicles, including one on Sunday where a trooper had stopped as officials prepared to close a road because of ice. In each case the troopers were out of their cruisers at the time and were uninjured.
Avalanche warnings were issued for numerous areas of the Rocky Mountains stretching from Colorado to Washington state, with the danger rated highest in Utah.