A powerful winter storm is poised to sweep across a vast portion of the United States this weekend, bringing potentially record-breaking cold temperatures, heavy snowfall, and significant ice accumulations. Forecasters are issuing urgent warnings about hazardous conditions that could lead to widespread travel disruptions, potential power outages, and dangerous situations for residents.
Storm Path and Expected Impacts
According to the US National Weather Service, the storm is expected to bring widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the southern Rockies and plains into the mid-south starting on Friday. The system will then spread eastward, affecting the mid-Atlantic and New England areas throughout the weekend, with impacts potentially lingering into Monday.
Heavy snow is likely across a broad region stretching from the southern Rockies and plains through the mid-Atlantic and into the north-east. The agency forecasts that snowfall totals exceeding 12 inches will become more probable in localised areas, creating significant accumulation challenges.
Ice Accumulation and Freezing Rain Threats
Weather officials have highlighted particular concerns about widespread freezing rain and sleet forecast for parts of the southern plains, lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, the south-east, and southern Virginia. Significant and damaging ice accumulations are likely, raising the potential for power outages, tree damage, and extremely dangerous travel conditions.
The freezing rain and sleet are expected to affect areas of the southern plains and lower Mississippi Valley on Friday before shifting eastward into parts of the south-east, Tennessee Valley and mid-Atlantic over the weekend.
Travel Disruptions and Cold Temperatures
Widespread travel disruptions are anticipated across affected regions, with the weather service noting that extremely cold air behind the storm will prolong hazardous travel and infrastructure impacts. Weather officials are warning of bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills expected to spread across the central and eastern US by the end of this week.
The cold air is forecast to spread into the northern and central plains, midwest and Great Lakes on Thursday before pushing into the southern plains, Mississippi Valley and midwest by Thursday night. Officials have emphasised that the expected wind chills could pose life-threatening risks of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin.
Regional Forecasts and Preparations
In New York, weather officials indicate the winter storm is likely to arrive on Saturday, with snow potentially beginning to fall as early as Saturday night. The heaviest snow is expected to fall from Sunday into Sunday evening, with between eight to 16 inches of snow forecast for parts of the New York region.
As of Thursday morning, winter storm watches have been issued by the National Weather Service for the coming days in parts of numerous states including Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Kansas, Illinois, New York and others.
Winter storm warnings, indicating heavy snow is expected, have been issued for parts of New York as well as sections of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas starting Friday.
State Emergency Declarations
In preparation for the expected winter storm, several governors have taken proactive measures. South Carolina's Henry McMaster, Georgia's Brian Kemp, Texas's Greg Abbott, and North Carolina's Josh Stein have all declared states of emergency to activate state emergency response resources. Other governors, including West Virginia's Patrick Morrisey and Maryland's Wes Moore, have declared states of preparedness to ensure readiness for the approaching weather system.
Alex Lamers, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, told the New York Times that a storm of this magnitude is not something seen every winter, adding that the upcoming storm is likely to affect about half the US population with accumulating ice, sleet or snow.
