A deadly winter storm raging across the southern part of the U.S. has killed at least 10 people and caused 500,000 power outages as of Thursday morning, according to a report from The Weather Channel.
Icy roads caused by the storm have led to seven car crash deaths in Texas, two in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas, The Weather Channel reported. Over 410,000 were left without power in Texas as of noon Thursday, based on PowerOutage.us data. Close to 70,000 outages were reported in Arkansas, about 24,000 in Mississippi and 20,000 in Tennessee the same afternoon.
We’re LIVE in the field again today covering impacts from Winter Storm #Mara!
Watch on our TV app: https://t.co/Feaf8zT3Ip pic.twitter.com/0h0KjxBLW9
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) February 2, 2023
The storm, dubbed Winter Storm Mara, has led to over 6,000 flight cancellations across the U.S. since roughly Monday, CNN reported, citing FlightAware. (RELATED: Death Toll From Snow Storm And Extreme Cold Reaches 60 As Erie County, New York Takes Biggest Hit)
The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has seen over 3,200 cancellations in the same time frame, including more than 500 Thursday, according to CNN. Nearby airports Dallas Love Field and Austin Bergstrom International have also seen cancellations.
Winter Storm Mara began hitting southern states Monday. Freezing rain and sleet have been reported in parts of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, according to The Weather Channel.
Icy conditions led to serious accidents in the Dallas area and parts of I-40 being closed Tuesday. Over a quarter-inch of ice accumulated in areas across central Texas by Wednesday as sleet and freezing rain continued.
Schools have been closed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since Tuesday and motorists have been advised to stay off the roads in several areas. Ice storm warnings in North Texas expired Thursday morning and schools are weighing whether to re-open on Friday, according to Fox4 News.
Texas is expected to have warmer weather Friday, with highs in the 50s. The coldest parts of Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi are expected to warm up Saturday, with highs in the upper 40s and 50s, according to The Weather Channel.