Some are calling it a “once in a generation” storm, expected to bring more than a foot of snow and “life-threatening” wind chills to some locales as far south as the Texas/Mexico border, as reported by CNN. About a third of the entire U.S. population is under winter weather and/or wind chill alerts, with parts of the Midwest expecting to see the coldest Christmas in the last 40 years or so, with several states breaking their record lows. Nearly 2000 flights across the country have been canceled so far, and residents are bracing as best as they can for the fallout of holiday travel delays and severe weather. The TikTok user @peeliesnpetals, whose name is Sarah, is used to frigid conditions living above the 45th parallel, so she shared some of her tips and tricks for those who are in for a bit of shock on the social media platform. She starts off by covering the windows with bubble wrap. She says the pockets of air help to keep the heat in the house and the cold out by retaining warmth. The larger the bubbles, the better! She also uses doorstops at the bottom of the windows to help stop drafts. After that, she DIYs window insulation by stapling a plastic tarp into the frames. Others are scrambling to the markets to stock up on essentials, but, between the storm and the season, they’re looking more like a well-casted mannequin challenge at the end of the world. As one Twitter user pointed out, the state of the shelves is an excellent indicator for the impending weather for those who may have been unfortunate enough to plan a quick trip to the store for last minute holiday essentials, but even the disastrous conditions weren’t enough to sell out the vegetarian meats. Unfortunately, some are already in the thick of front. Montana is already seeing subzero temperatures, with wind chills as low as 55 degrees expected. One Wyoming Highway Patrol officer found themselves stuck in a whiteout (which also affected parts of Colorado) on Wednesday night, with temps around 18 degrees below zero—as did several South Dakota drivers. The storm is expected to worsen in the Midwest today, with freezing rain heading into northern New York and New England. Friday will find it at its peak, with blizzard conditions and high winds affecting parts of the Great Lakes, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and the western portions of Pennsylvania and New York, with risks for flash freezes. The winds are also expected to impact Georgia and the Carolinas. The bulk of the storm will head into eastern Canada on Saturday, with residual winds and snow drifts lingering in certain areas.
