A massive winter storm has begun impacting more than half of the United States, moving eastward and bringing heavy snowfall, dangerous ice accumulation, and extreme temperatures.
According to the National Weather Service, around 180 million people are under winter weather warnings through Monday. The storm system is expected to stretch over a distance of more than 2,000 miles, from Texas to New England.
In the northern sector of the storm, covering areas from Oklahoma to Massachusetts, snowfall of up to 30 centimeters is forecast. Meanwhile, southern regions, including Texas, the Carolinas, and Virginia, are expected to experience a mix of precipitation, including freezing rain and ice.
Authorities are warning of potentially catastrophic ice accumulations that could bring down trees and power lines. Hundreds of thousands of residents risk being without electricity for days, while travel conditions are expected to be extremely dangerous, if not impossible.
Strong winds will drive temperatures to extreme lows, with wind chills reaching as low as −46 degrees Celsius across the northern and central Plains. More than two-thirds of the U.S. population is expected to experience sub-zero wind chills over the coming week.
So far, more than a dozen states have declared a state of emergency. Officials are urging residents to remain indoors and to stock up on food, medication, and essential supplies for four to five days.
The storm is already disrupting transportation. More than 4,000 flights have been canceled, while airlines, public transportation systems, and schools across multiple states have announced closures and service suspensions.
The storm is expected to spread toward the East Coast, reaching major cities such as New York and Washington by Sunday. The dangerous combination of heavy snow, ice, and extreme cold could damage the national power grid and leave millions of Americans isolated in their homes.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that no part of the state would be “immune to the fury of Mother Nature.”
