A tragedy occurred in Southwick, Massachusetts, on Friday, February 3, 2023. The extremely cold temperatures and blustering winds caused a tree branch to fall. This tree branch struck a car containing an infant and a 23-year-old woman. The woman was taken to the hospital for serious injuries, but the baby died.
The Northeast United States is experiencing extreme winter weather. Forecasters warned of “dangerously cold wind chill temperatures” through Saturday night. Blizzard conditions were predicted in northern Maine.
The National Weather Service issued a bulletin early Saturday morning to warn people of the harsh conditions. “Temperatures will be 10 to 30 degrees below average over parts of the Northeast into the coastal mid-Atlantic. Wind chill warnings and advisories have been issued across New York state and New England,” it stated.
The bulletin also warned of possible property damage and power outages. It wanted people to prepare and stay safe. The impacted area for this could be in the northern Rocky Mountain Front and the High Plains.
Temperatures in the Northeast reached alarmingly low numbers on Friday. At the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, a scary number was recorded. The wind chill was minus 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because of these low temperatures, school was canceled in much of the region, such as cities like Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts. Officials feared for the safety of students who walk to school or wait for the bus. Hypothermia and frostbite were real possibilities.
On Saturday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a state of emergency, which lasted until Sunday. A forecast warning of wind chills at temperatures minus 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit prompted this action. She also opened up warming centers to help keep citizens safe.
New York also took emergency measures. The state issued a “code blue” alert, and emergency shelters were opened. Forecasts of wind chills of 10 to 15 below zero prompted this action.
Both New York and Maine are struggling with power outages. On Saturday, more than 11,000 properties were without power in New York. More than 5,000 were facing the same problem in Maine.
Over the weekend in other parts of the United States, the weather was kinder. Texas is warming up after a deadly winter ice storm. California is seeing heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
