Cold blast, cross-country storm hit both coasts

(NEW YORK) — The coldest temperatures of this season so far have created black ice conditions in the mid-Atlantic states on Tuesday. A freeze warning was issued Tuesday along the Gulf Coast, where temperatures are near or below freezing.

A record 6.9 inches of snow fell at Reagan National Airport yesterday, with up to 10 inches of snow around the Washington, D.C., metro area.

The highest snowfall totals were in Virginia, Delaware and southern New Jersey where more than 14 inches of snow fell.

An Amtrak train with 220 passengers and six crew members is stranded in Lynchburg, Virginia, due to Monday’s storm. The train, which was headed to New York from New Orleans, was forced to return to Lynchburg after a separate train encountered downed power lines and trees, according to ABC 13 News.

A new cross-country storm could bring more snow for the Interstate 95 corridor following a heavy snowstorm. Traffic on I-95 was so bad, Virginia Sen. Tim Kane said he was trapped on the highway for 19 hours, following a multi-vehicle accident.

Interstate 84 was closed in Oregon on Monday due to whiteout conditions, leaving trucks and cars stuck on the highway.

Twenty states from California to Michigan are on alert for heavy snow and gusty winds. As much as 2 to 3 feet of snow is possible in the northern Rockies, with wind gusts over 75 miles per hour in some areas.

There is also a blizzard warning in place for the eastern Dakotas and northwestern Minnesota along with winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings. Several inches of snow is expected to fall Tuesday through Friday.

Wind chill alerts are in place from Montana to Iowa as wind chills on Wednesday morning will be well below zero. Parts of Montana and the Dakotas could see wind chills 30 to 50 degrees below zero on Tuesday night into Wednesday.

A new storm is now in the West moving through the Rockies, bringing heavy snow. This storm could reach the East Coast by Friday morning, bringing more snow to the I-95 corridor.

Both long-term storm models, European and American, are showing snow for the I-95 corridor by Friday morning.

Another bitter cold blast is on its way for the Midwest and eventually into the Northeast, behind this next storm. Temperatures could reach a low of zero degrees in Chicago and the teens in D.C. by the weekend.