More than 200 million people across the United States are in the path of a major winter storm that’s forecast to bring a mix of ice, snow and frigid conditions to a 2,000-mile expanse of the country through the weekend. About two-thirds of the U.S. could be affected by what will likely be the largest winter storm in at least five years.
Freezing rain, snow and rain started Friday in the Southern Plains before it was forecast to move into the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys on Saturday and then head into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday into Monday.
The system is forecast to be slow-moving, meaning long durations of snow and ice will have time to accumulate.
Winter weather alerts continued to be issued from the Southern Plains across the South and into the Northeast through Monday, impacting at least 185 million people. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., are under a state of emergency, and 35 states are expected to be affected by the storm. Nine states have activated National Guard troops.
Extreme cold temperatures are also a major concern. Friday morning, thermometers in the Minneapolis area were at 21 degrees below zero, with wind chills even colder. Temperatures through the weekend are expected to sink to record lows across parts of the Southern Plains and Mid-Atlantic.
