COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dmitri Voronkov scored two goals and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the St. Louis Blues 6-4 on Saturday night.
Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, Mathieu Oliver and Mikael Pyyhtia also scored for the Blue Jackets, who are 5-2-1 in their last eight. Ivan Provorov and Sean Monahan each had three assists, Zach Werenski had two, and Elvis Merzilikins stopped 29 shots.
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St. Louis Blues' Mathieu Joseph, right, and Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov chase the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Dylan Holloway, left, keeps the puck away from Columbus Blue Jackets' Dante Fabbro, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Joel Hofer makes a save against the Columbus Blue Jackets' during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Cole Sillinger, front, keeps the puck away from St. Louis Blues' Philip Broberg during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Brandon Saad, center, carries the puck between Columbus Blue Jackets' Kirill Marchenko, left, and Zach Werenski during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Dylan Holloway, left, looks for an open pass as Columbus Blue Jackets' Dante Fabbro defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins, left, makes a save as teammate Jack Johnson, right, and St. Louis Blues' Jake Neighbours collide in front of the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli, center left, celebrates after his goal against the St. Louis Blues with teammate Dmitri Voronkov during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov, left, congratulates Kirill Marchenko on his goal against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou and Cam Fowler each had a goal and an assist for St. Louis, and Colton Parayko also scored. Dylan Holloway had two assists and Joel Hofer made 33 saves as the Blues lost for just the second time in six games.
The Blue Jackets twice led by three goals in a wild third period which had eight goals, including five in a 3:40 span. Voronkov capped the flurry at 7:24 to make it 5-2.
Parayko and Schenn then scored 3:22 apart to pull the Blues within one, but Olivier sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:03 remaining.
Blues: Coming off a 4-0 win over Ottawa on Friday, the Blues couldn’t find their skating legs and trailed 1-0 after the first period while being outshot 16-7. They are 1-3-1 in the second of a back-to-back.
Blue Jackets: Columbus has found a productive line in Voronkov, Marchenko and Monahan, who has 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in his past 25 games.
Pyyhtia scored his first short-handed goal and just his fourth overall in 49 NHL games to give the Blue Jackets a 3-0 lead early in the third period. The Blues scored 70 seconds later on their same power play to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Werenski has a 15-game home point streak, the longest for a defenseman in the past 30 years. He has 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) during the span.
Blues visit Minnesota on Tuesday, and Blue Jackets play at Pittsburgh.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
St. Louis Blues' Mathieu Joseph, right, and Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov chase the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Dylan Holloway, left, keeps the puck away from Columbus Blue Jackets' Dante Fabbro, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Joel Hofer makes a save against the Columbus Blue Jackets' during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Cole Sillinger, front, keeps the puck away from St. Louis Blues' Philip Broberg during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Brandon Saad, center, carries the puck between Columbus Blue Jackets' Kirill Marchenko, left, and Zach Werenski during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
St. Louis Blues' Dylan Holloway, left, looks for an open pass as Columbus Blue Jackets' Dante Fabbro defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins, left, makes a save as teammate Jack Johnson, right, and St. Louis Blues' Jake Neighbours collide in front of the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli, center left, celebrates after his goal against the St. Louis Blues with teammate Dmitri Voronkov during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov, left, congratulates Kirill Marchenko on his goal against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A huge swath of the U.S. was blasted with ice, snow and wind on Monday as the polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept much of the country east of the Rockies in its frigid grip, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations.
The immense storm system brought disruption to areas of the country that usually escape winter's wrath, downing trees in some Southern states, threatening a freeze in Florida and causing people in Dallas to dip deep into their wardrobes for warm hats and gloves.
Washington, D.C., received heavy snow as President-elect Donald Trump’s victory was certified. Taking advantage of the rare snowstorm in the nation’s capital, revelers engaged in a snowball fight in front of the Washington Monument as flags flew at half-staff in memory of former President Jimmy Carter.
In Kentucky’s biggest city, Louisville, Hugh Ross used his shovel Monday to break sheets of ice that were covering his driveway. Frozen rain fell atop snow that arrived Sunday, which he said “couldn’t have been worse.”
“You've got to break it up first," Ross explained. "If you don’t do that, you’re wasting your time. I did a couple of layers yesterday, so I had to make sure I wasn’t in too bad of shape today.”
Ice and snow blanketed major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 mph (72 kph). The warnings extended to New Jersey into early Tuesday.
At the storied Calumet Farm in central Kentucky, the thoroughbreds were led to their stalls Sunday afternoon before freezing rain turned their pastures into a slick glaze of snow and ice.
“The ice is the worst part,” Eddie Kane, the farm manager, said Monday. “I still haven’t turned them out because it’s still a little bit too dangerous. It’s like an ice-skating rink out there in the fields.”
In his central Missouri apartment complex’s parking lot, Gary Wright wore a parka as he and his husband chipped away at the ice coating his SUV. Wright, a 33-year-old North Carolina native, said he would work remotely on Monday but wanted to scrape off his vehicle as an excuse to spend time in the snow.
The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes plunges southward into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Studies show that a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its grip.
Starting Monday, the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. dealt with bone-chilling cold and wind chills, said forecasters, predicting that temperatures could range from 12 to 25 degrees (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) below normal in many areas.
The Northeast, which has had a relatively mild start to winter, was expected to get several cold days, said Jon Palmer, a weather service meteorologist based in Gray, Maine.
The cold air was expected to grip the Eastern Seaboard as far south as Georgia, with temperatures dropping into the low single digits (minus 15 to minus 17 Celsius) in some coastal areas, Palmer said.
School closings were widespread, with districts in Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas canceling or delaying the start of classes Monday. Among them was Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools, which canceled classes and other school activities for its nearly 100,000 students.
Classes were also canceled in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Sunday and announced that state government offices would also be closed Monday.
At least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri over the weekend, authorities said. Hundreds of car accidents were reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his patrol car was hit.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency, said government buildings would be closed Monday.
“We see far too many wrecks out there for people that do not have to be on the roads,” Beshear said.
Virginia State Police responded to at least 230 crashes from 4 p.m. Sunday through 4 a.m. Monday. More than 20 people were injured in those crashes, and there was one fatal crash, but it wasn’t clear if it was storm-related, authorities said. More than 200 additional crashes took place later in the morning.
By midday Monday, state troopers in Maryland had responded to at least 475 calls for service, including 123 reported crashes and 156 unattended vehicles since 1 a.m., Maryland State Police said on social media post.
In Indiana, snow covered stretches of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 41, leading authorities to plead with people to stay home.
“It’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again,” State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle said.
Topeka, Kansas, reported 14.5 inches (nearly 37 centimeters) by about 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the weather service.
Kansas City International Airport received of 11 inches (28 centimeters) of snow on Sunday, breaking the previous record for the day of 10.1 inches (26 centimeters) set in 1962, according to the weather service’s office in Kansas City, Missouri. In Kentucky, Louisville recorded 7.7 inches (nearly 20 centimeters) of snow on Sunday, shattering the date's previous record of 3 inches (nearly 8 centimeters) set in 1910.
The Mid-Atlantic region was expected to get another 6 inches to 12 inches ( 15 to 30 centimeters) of snow on Monday, the -weather service's Weather Prediction Center warned. Dangerously cold temperatures were expected to follow, with nighttime lows falling into the single digits through the middle of the week across the Central Plains and into the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
Many were in the dark as temperatures plunged. More than 300,000 customers were without power early Monday across Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois and Missouri, according to electric utility tracking website PowerOutage.us.
The storms caused havoc for the nation’s passenger railways, with more than 20 cancellations Sunday, more than 40 planned Monday and two already planned for Tuesday.
More than 1,400 flights were canceled and another 740 were delayed nationwide as of Monday morning, according to tracking platform FlightAware. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reported that about 46% of arrivals and 59% of departures had been canceled.
A record 8 inches (more than 20 centimeters) of snow fell Sunday at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, leading to dozens of flight cancellations that lingered into Monday. A few more inches of snow was expected Monday across the Cincinnati area, where car and truck crashes Monday morning shutdown at least two major routes leading into downtown.
Whittle from Portland, Maine. Associated Press journalists Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; Lea Skene in Baltimore; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Julie Walker in New York; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, Zeke Miller in Washington, D.C., and Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri, contributed.
Read more of the AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment
John Lovrich uses his Yamaha Kodiak 450 4x4 all-terrain vehicle to plow snow near his home in the Cambria City section of Johnstown, Pa., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Thomas Slusser/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)
Josh Williams, of Johnstown, shovels snow from the walkway at First United Methodist Church on Vine Street in downtown Johnstown, Pa., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Thomas Slusser/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)
A person walks near the Washington Monument during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A child catches snowflakes with their tongue during El Museo del Barrio's 47th annual Three Kings Day parade, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A runner passes on a snowy morning as it falls over Center City, Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
A runner makes his way through a snow-covered street in Indianapolis, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Police from nearby Arlington, Va., arrive at the Capitol to help reinforce the security presence ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A snowplow clears the area as snow blankets Capitol Hill ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Dave Thomasson uses an electric snowblower to clear his driveway in the Webster Oaks subdivision of Webster Groves, Mo. as residents started clearing a path on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Carl Rich uses a snowblower to clear his driveway during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A person holds an umbrella as they walk during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A pedestrian makes their way though a tunnel along the snow-covered Monon Trail in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Traffic makes it way on snow-covered U.S. 31 in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Heavy snow falls as a person walks along U.S. Route 42 in Florence, Ky., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A workman clears steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A person clears off a car during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A person walks near the Washington Monument during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People ski during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Law enforcement officers stand guard at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A person walks his dog in view of the Capitol during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People engage in a snowball fight as U.S. flags, along the base of the Washington Monument, fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
People engage in a snowball fight during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Law enforcement officers stand guard at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
National Park Service workers shovel a pathway during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A workman clears steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Police from nearby Arlington, Va., arrive at the Capitol to help reinforce the security presence ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Workers clear steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Snow covers homes during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Workers clear the plaza at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Ice encases tree branches in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ice hangs from a bike rack in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Dawn breaks over a snowy Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Snow covers vehicles parked at the Helix Garage in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Snow covers vehicles parked at the Helix Garage in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Dawn breaks over a snowy Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Vehicles drive along Main Street in Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ice encases tree branches in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ice and snow cover a sidewalk in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ice encases tree branches in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Vehicles drive along Main Street in Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
A person crosses a street as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Workers clear snow from a walkway Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A car slowly navigates a snow-covered interstate Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Enrique Davila crosses the street with his dog, Chula, as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A group of people jog in the distance as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Andre Dresino uses a snow blower to clear a sidewalk Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A person who declined to be identified jogs down a snow-covered street Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A group of cyclists make way through downtown Wichita, Kan., during a severe winter storm on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)
A snow plow clears a restaurant's parking lot beside Massage Luxe in Kirkwood, Mo. as snow and sleet fall on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Paul Cullmann clears snow from steps outside his home Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Paul Cullmann clears snow from steps outside his home Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Truckers fight the weather as they stop on Interstate 44 in Fenton, Mo. to change wiper blades as sleet falls on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
A person runs down a trail during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Vehicles drive along a highway during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A plow clears a parking lot during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A person dusts snow off of a car during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
