Here are the craziest and most picturesque photos from the brutal cold that swept the US last week

Here are the craziest and most picturesque photos from the brutal cold that swept the US last week
  • A cold front recently swept the nation with snow and freezing temperatures.

  • In some areas, it broke a years-long snow drought that left many, especially northerners, confused.

  • Other states, such as Texas, got an inch of snow, something Texans seldomly see.

Freezing temperatures swept the nation – and parts of the globe – last week with snow, ice, and sleet.

Some areas of the country were finally relieved of a snow drought that had persisted for several years, ending a streak of short, dry winter days. Other states that rarely see snow got a chilly treat.

These images, both lively and picturesque, show what it looked like across the nation.

Texas

Snow covers the shore of Joe Pool Lake during a winter storm on January 15, 2024.
Snow covers the shore of Joe Pool Lake in Texas during a winter storm on January 15, 2024.Julio Cortez/AP

Texas rarely sees snow, but the cold front left a lake in the Dallas-Fort Worth area looking like a frosty wonderland covered in light snow. The area saw over an inch of snow during the cold front.

Washington, DC

Children race each other down the sledding hill at the U.S. Capitol, following a snowstorm that closed schools on January 16, 2024.
Children race each other down the sledding hill at the U.S. Capitol, following a snowstorm that closed schools on January 16, 2024.Jacquelyn Martin/AP

The nation's capital saw its first snowstorm in two years to the gleeful delight of children who finally got to pull their sleds out of the garage.

New Jersey

Mist from the Great Falls created a frozen wonderland around the waterfalls in Paterson, New Jersey on January 18, 2024.
Mist from the Great Falls created a frozen wonderland around the waterfalls in Paterson, New Jersey on January 18, 2024.Ted Shaffrey/AP

In Paterson, New Jersey, ice blanketed portions of the 77-foot waterfall, turning it into an icy dreamland. Some disregarded warnings of the freeze to capture photos in the ice.

New York

A horse and carriage are seen in the snow in Central Park in New York City on January 16, 2024.
A horse and carriage are seen in the snow in Central Park in New York City on January 16, 2024.Peter K. Afriyie/AP

New York City also saw its first serious snow in two years, ending a dry spell that set a record for a city which usually sees two feet of snow.

Oregon

Ice covers flowers in Lake Oswego, Oregon on January 17, 2024.
Ice covers flowers in Lake Oswego, Oregon on January 17, 2024.Gillian Flaccus/AP

Oregon saw freezing rain and icy conditions that caused school and airport closures along with days-long power outages. The weather conditions caused over a dozen deaths in the state and dozens more nationwide.

Alaska

Nihal Mico takes a photo of her sister-in-law Isil Mico as she poses with her daughter Lorena in front of Snowzilla, a snowman measuring more than 20 feet tall, in Anchorage, Alaska.
People take photos in front of Snowzilla, a snowman measuring more than 20 feet tall, in Anchorage, Alaska.Mark Thiessen/AP

In Alaska, a 20-foot-tall snowman returned from its hibernation, allowing locals to smile for pictures. An Anchorage family erected the giant snowman again in 2023 after a 10-year break. The tradition started in 2005, per the Anchorage Daily News.

Tennessee

People sled at Sevier Park in Nashville, Tennessee on January 16, 2024.
People sled at Sevier Park in Nashville, Tennessee on January 16, 2024.George Walker IV/AP

Children took to sledding in Sevier Park in Tennessee's capital last week when temperatures dipped to as low as -1 degrees Fahrenheit, per the National Weather Service. The area saw over half a foot of snow.

Illinois

Snow-covered vehicles sit in a rental car parking lot at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.
Snow-covered vehicles sit in a parking lot at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on January 14, 2024.Nam Y. Huh/AP

Snow and ice in the Chicago area are certainly not rare, though this year was warmer than most for areas along the Great Lakes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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