Winter storm kills eight in Tennessee as forecasters warn of new system

Tennessee officials have reported eight weather-related deaths across the state after a powerful winter storm swept across much of the US in recent days, as forecasters are now monitoring another potentially significant winter storm that could hit parts of the east coast this weekend.The Tennessee health department confirmed on Tuesday that there were eight weather-related fatalities across the state. Nationwide, at least 25 weather-related deaths have been reported, from Texas and Tennessee to New England, since Friday. Various communities have grappled with heavy snow, ice and dangerously cold temperatures.As of Wednesday morning, just under 400,000 customers across the country are without power, according to Poweroutage.us, including around 129,000 in Tennessee and roughly 120,000 in Mississippi.In Tennessee, Nashville Electric Service said on Wednesday that there are 303 broken utility poles and that about 900 line workers are “diligently making progress to restore power with more crews on the way”.Forecasters are also tracking another winter system. The National Weather Service’s weather prediction center said on Wednesday that a “winter storm” is “likely this weekend” in some areas, including North and South Carolina, and Virginia.“Confidence is increasing for impactful heavy snow across much of the Carolinas and parts of southern Virginia, beginning as early as Friday night and lasting through the weekend,” the agency said. “Confidence in impacts associated with snowfall remains lower to the north along the East Coast and into New England at the moment.”The strong storm system is “likely to produce gusty winds” the agency said, warning that “where these winds overlap with snowfall, reduced visibility is likely and could make for difficult travel conditions at times.”Weather officials also warned that “several factors for this potential winter storm remain uncertain and forecast changes are anticipated as the system draws closer.”The storm this weekend could intensify into a “bomb cyclone” with the potential for significant snow, strong winds and some coastal flooding from the Carolinas to New England, the Weather Channel cautioned.The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City, North Carolina said that as of Wednesday, there are “high probabilities of at least minor accumulating snow” in the area. Forecasters also warned that “a combination of strong winds and higher than normal tides may result in significant coastal flooding” in the area.Farther north, the National Weather Service in Baltimore and Washington DC said that it was monitoring a “chance for light snow” in some parts of the region later on Wednesday afternoon and evening.In New York City, where a cold weather advisory remains in effect, bitterly cold temperatures are expected to persist throughout the week.“The snow may have stopped falling, but the cold remains,” the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, said in a video on Tuesday. “Our city is in the midst of what may be the longest stretch of below freezing temperatures in recorded history. Extreme cold snaps like this are threatening, already 10 of our neighbors have passed away after being found outdoors. We are doing everything in our power to keep New Yorkers safe.”The New York City ferry suspended service on Tuesday afternoon and remained closed on Wednesday due to ice in the East and Hudson rivers and across the New York harbor.The lingering impact of the storm over the weekend has also forced school closures and remote learning in parts of the country. On Wednesday, some school buildings in Maryland, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas were closed.