Winter Storm Across Various Regions of America; Election Certification Meeting Will Be Held on Time

A cold wave accompanied by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures has enveloped the central regions of the United States and is expanding to other states; meanwhile, Congress has announced that despite the blizzard, the presidential election certification meeting will take place as scheduled. Many states, especially in the central U.S., witnessed heavy snowfall on Sunday, January 6; wind speeds in Missouri were reported to be around 73 kilometers per hour. It is expected that snowfall and a significant drop in temperature will affect more areas on the eastern coast of the U.S. on Monday. According to Bob Oravek from the National Weather Service, about 63 million people in 30 states have received warnings and advisories related to the winter storm. Emergency declarations have been made in several states, including Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Schools in some states have been announced to be closed on Monday and Tuesday. The National Weather Service has predicted that snowfall in some areas will reach levels not seen in at least a decade. Local officials in various states have warned about road travel, and dozens of traffic accidents were reported on Sunday in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky. According to the Associated Press, the winter storm also led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Sunday and disrupted the movement of at least 40 trains. Weather forecasts predict that the winter storm will expand to eastern states on Monday, with temperatures expected to drop by 12 to 25 degrees. Cold systems that have been circulating over the Arctic have been pouring into parts of the Americas, Europe, and Asia in recent decades due to climate change caused by human activities. As the winter storm expands, Congress is set to hold a session on Monday to officially certify the results of the presidential election and Donald Trump's victory. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, stated on Sunday that the winter storm would not prevent this meeting from taking place. He told Fox News that according to law, the formalization of election results at 1 PM on January 6 is mandatory, 'and therefore, whether there is a blizzard or not, we will be in session.' During the joint session of the House and Senate on Monday, the presidential election results from each state will be read in alphabetical order, and representatives will confirm the final result by endorsing the vote count. Kamala Harris, who lost to Donald Trump in the presidential election, will attend the session as a senator. According to the Associated Press, Monday's session is expected to be less eventful than the one four years ago, and Democrats have explicitly recognized Donald Trump's victory in the recent election. Four years ago, on January 6, 2020, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building during the session to certify the election results. Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims of fraud in the 2020 election but has provided no evidence to support them. It is predicted that the temperature in Washington on Monday will be below zero, with snowfall reaching between 7 to 18 centimeters. Schools in the city and several cities in the neighboring states of West Virginia and Maryland have been announced to be closed on Monday.