Three people are killed including four-year-old as Winter Storm Harold batters the East Coast

Three people were killed as Winter Storm Harold moved eastward Thursday, bringing with it perilous travel conditions, power outages for tens of thousands and 105 million Americans affected by the dangerous weather. 

Hundreds of collisions closed interstates with strong winds and bitter cold pummeling the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin and grounding flights across the region Wednesday into Christmas Eve. 

The storm is set to bring strong winds, heavy, snow and thunderstorms as it moves east into Christmas Day with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC all under threat of bad weather.  

One of those killed Wednesday was a four-year-old child who died, along with two others, in a car crash on Interstate 80 near Hershey, Nebraska, Weather.com reports. 

Driver Edgar Navarro, 24, passenger Idayalid Bautista, 25, and four-year-old Alex Navarro died when the GMC Yukon they were in lost control due to the bad weather, KLKN reports. 

Meteorologist Alex DeSilva said: ‘Winds are forecast to gust between 50 and 60 mph over a broad area from eastern North Carolina to Maine.’

AccuWeather’s Dave Dombek added: ‘This could evolve into a dangerous situation where there is significant property damage and there are trees crashing down onto streets and into homes from Long Island to southern New England.’ 

A mix of ice and rain falls, Thursday near the intersection of West 26th Street and Greengarden Road in Erie, Pa. Three people were killed as Winter Storm Harold moved eastward Thursday, bringing with it perilous travel conditions, power outages and 105 million Americans affected by the dangerous weather

A mix of ice and rain falls, Thursday near the intersection of West 26th Street and Greengarden Road in Erie, Pa. Three people were killed as Winter Storm Harold moved eastward Thursday, bringing with it perilous travel conditions, power outages and 105 million Americans affected by the dangerous weather

The storm is set to bring strong winds, heavy, snow and thunderstorms as it moves east into Christmas Day with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC all under threat of bad weather

The storm is set to bring strong winds, heavy, snow and thunderstorms as it moves east into Christmas Day with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC all under threat of bad weather

AccuWeather's Dave Dombek said: 'This could evolve into a dangerous situation where there is significant property damage and there are trees crashing down onto streets and into homes from Long Island to southern New England'

AccuWeather’s Dave Dombek said: ‘This could evolve into a dangerous situation where there is significant property damage and there are trees crashing down onto streets and into homes from Long Island to southern New England’

Strong winds and bitter cold pummeled the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Thursday as the region dug out from a winter storm that closed interstate highways and grounded flights. The winter storm moved eastward, bringing snow into northern Wisconsin, while the Dakotas and Minnesota were left with clear skies, but icy wind

Strong winds and bitter cold pummeled the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Thursday as the region dug out from a winter storm that closed interstate highways and grounded flights. The winter storm moved eastward, bringing snow into northern Wisconsin, while the Dakotas and Minnesota were left with clear skies, but icy wind

The National Weather Service forecasts ‘a stormy day’ in New England on Christmas Day. They add: ‘A moderate risk for flooding with isolated amounts of 3 – 4 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts possible. High winds, particularly along the coast, may also lead to power outages.

‘With temperatures dropping rapidly behind the cold front, there is the potential for flash freezing, most notably across portions of the mid-Atlantic region. With any standing water, including residual snow pack across portions of PA, roadways could become slick.’ 

In New York City, where winds of up to 70 mph and 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected through Friday morning, Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said: ‘Anyone dreaming of a white Christmas will have to settle for a windy and soggy holiday. 

‘However, the hazards are real, and we want every New Yorker to prepare for the potentially damaging winds and heavy rain.’

New Yorkers put up their umbrellas as the approaching storm starts to blow in Thursday

New Yorkers put up their umbrellas as the approaching storm starts to blow in Thursday

In New York City, pictured, where winds of up to 70 mph and 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected through Friday morning, Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said: 'Anyone dreaming of a white Christmas will have to settle for a windy and soggy holiday'

In New York City, pictured, where winds of up to 70 mph and 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected through Friday morning, Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said: ‘Anyone dreaming of a white Christmas will have to settle for a windy and soggy holiday’

CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said: ‘This storm setup could easily allow for dangerous winds and even a few brief isolated tornadoes. Especially at risk on Christmas Eve are eastern sections of North and South Carolina, southern Georgia and Alabama, and parts of the Florida Panhandle.’ 

Storm Harold has already brought with it pile ups in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, where 15 cars collided and a 25 car crash between Sioux Falls and Hartford. 

There were more than 400 crashes Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol said. A total of 570 cars spun off the road; 38 tractor-trailers jackknifed. 

In Nebraska state patrol said they responded to 59 crashes. They shared a video of a blizzard on Highway 81, writing: ‘Everything is at a standstill because of blizzard conditions and previous crashes. Please stay home in this blizzard. If you are stranded, don’t leave your vehicle. Call *55 for the NSP Highway Helpline.’

The National Weather Service forecasts 'a stormy day' in New England on Christmas Day

The National Weather Service forecasts ‘a stormy day’ in New England on Christmas Day

Hundreds of flights were canceled Thursday with as many as 38,000 people left without power in Minnesota on Wednesday. 

Those outages moved east Thursday with those living Virginia, Pennsylvania, and in Georgia affected.   

By Thursday evening 175,000 people living in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas  were out of power, PowerOutage.US reports.

The National Weather Service had issued wind chill advisories lasting until Thursday afternoon, alerting some parts of North Dakota and Minnesota that wind chills could be 40 F below zero (-40C).

‘The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,’ the National Weather Service warned.

CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said: 'This storm setup could easily allow for dangerous winds and even a few brief isolated tornadoes. Especially at risk on Christmas Eve are eastern sections of North and South Carolina, southern Georgia and Alabama, and parts of the Florida Panhandle'

CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said: ‘This storm setup could easily allow for dangerous winds and even a few brief isolated tornadoes. Especially at risk on Christmas Eve are eastern sections of North and South Carolina, southern Georgia and Alabama, and parts of the Florida Panhandle’

The storm brought a dramatic change to a region that had experienced weeks of mild weather. In Milwaukee, temperatures climbed as high as 57 F (14C) on Wednesday.  

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz activated the National Guard late Wednesday to assist with accidents in two counties. On Thursday afternoon he authorized troops to provide assistance across the entire state.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said: ‘The rapidly melting snow, which contains approximately 1-3 inches of water will combine with an anticipated 1-3 inches of rain and locally higher amounts from the storm from Christmas Eve to early Christmas Day.’ 

source: dailymail.co.uk