Multiple crashes reported as polar vortex brings extreme cold to central U.S.

Much of the U.S. has faced continuous severe weather this February, with back-to-back winter storms and a polar vortex bringing record-breaking cold expected to persist through the week.

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts multiple daily cold records to be broken across the Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley by Friday, February 21, with some areas potentially experiencing their coldest recorded temperatures this late in winter.

The polar vortex causing this extreme cold event is expanding over much of the central U.S., bringing dangerous wind chills ranging from -34 to -51 °C (-30 to -60 °F) across the Northern Plains, expected to persist through the week.

Sub-zero wind chills are forecast as far south as Texas and Arkansas, along with western Tennessee and Kentucky, both of which were recently impacted by severe flooding from last week’s storm.

Extreme cold warnings and cold weather advisories are in effect for millions across North Dakota, Minnesota, and as far south as Texas, where some areas are also under a Freeze Warning due to the extreme cold.

Large portions of the Southeast, from Arkansas to Virginia and North Carolina, are under multiple winter weather alerts as a winter storm moves through the region.

The winter storm sweeping through the southern U.S. is expected to move into Virginia, the southern Delmarva Peninsula, and northeastern North Carolina, bringing freezing temperatures and significant icing, potentially causing power outages in multiple areas.

Winter storm leads to multiple crashes from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic

Earlier this week, the winter storm moved across the central U.S., creating hazardous travel conditions as it tracked from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, bringing heavy snow and dangerous ice to more than 15 states.

A Nebraska state trooper was killed after being struck by a snowplow while responding to a crash on Interstate 80 involving a snowplow and two other vehicles between Ashland and Greenwood on Monday, February 17.

According to the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), the trooper was responding to one of 17 crashes and 96 motorist assists reported on Monday morning.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reported multiple crashes on Interstate 70 as the winter storm swept through the state, creating hazardous travel conditions. CDOT also reported an avalanche triggered by the severe winter weather.

As the storm moved eastward into Kansas, crashes were reported along Interstate 70, including a rollover crash near Kansas City on Tuesday morning, February 18. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) stated that the driver lost control of his truck, struck a guardrail, and rolled over multiple times. The driver was unharmed, with KHP attributing his survival to wearing a seatbelt.

Farther south, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) reported dozens of crashes across the Oklahoma City metro area on Tuesday morning. Many semi-trucks jackknifed, with state troopers attributing the accidents to drivers speeding in hazardous weather conditions.

Another semi-truck hauling eggs crashed Tuesday afternoon on the Will Rogers Turnpike in Oklahoma, spilling cartons of eggs across the highway. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol posted photos of the crash and reported minor injuries.

The semi-truck driver was caught on video cutting off and scraping an Oklahoma Turnpike snowplow on the Turner Turnpike near Sapulpa on Tuesday morning before later crashing the same truck into the center barrier wall. The incidents are under investigation.

Crashes were also reported in the Oklahoma City metro areas along the 2nd street on the northbound I-35, potentially due to overspeeding in dangerous weather conditions.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D, serving southwest Missouri, reported 86 calls for service between midnight and 14:00 local time (LT) on Tuesday, February 18. Twenty-six of those calls were for crashes, with five of them resulting in four injuries, authorities said.

Westbound Interstate 44 near the Oklahoma state line was closed due to a multi-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon. The Missouri Department of Transportation warned drivers to avoid I-44 in southern and central Missouri due to hazardous travel conditions and multiple crashes.

References:

¹ Short Range Forecast Discussion – NWS – February 19, 2025