Temperatures in all 50 US states dipped to freezing or below on Tuesday Nov 18,2014

 

Temperatures in all 50 US states dipped to freezing or below on Tuesday Nov 18,2014 as an unseasonably cold blast of weather moved across the country while heavy snow prompted a state of emergency in western New York and contributed to the deaths of four people

Every US state, including Hawaii, was bitten by temperatures at the freezing point of 32 degrees F (0 C) or below, the National Weather Service (NWS) said

It was the coldest November morning across the country since 1976, according to Weather Bell Analytics, a meteorologist consulting firm

Typically, such cold is not seen until late December through February, the NWS said.

Snow fell at a rate of up to five inches (13 cm) an hour and some areas approached the US record for 24-hour snowfall totals of 76 inches (193 cm), the NWS said

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 10 counties. National Guard troops were deployed to help residents cope with the storm

A total of three to four feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters) of snow was expected in many areas of western New York and as much as six feet (1.8 meters) elsewhere, the NWS said

A 140-mile (225-km) stretch of the New York State Thruway along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario was closed. Bans on driving were implemented in some places.