A long-duration winter system is forecast to bring crippling ice, heavy snow, and dangerous cold to more than 100 million people from the Southern Plains to New England.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A major winter storm is expected to impact the eastern two-thirds of the United States beginning Friday and lasting into Monday, bringing widespread freezing rain, sleet, heavy snow, and bitter cold that federal forecasters warn could result in catastrophic ice damage, prolonged power outages, and dangerous travel conditions.
The storm system is projected to affect more than 100 million people, with some regions facing ice accumulation severe enough to snap trees and power lines, while mountainous areas could see snowfall totals approaching 20 inches, according to federal weather officials.
“A significant, long-duration winter storm will bring widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies to New England through Monday,” the National Weather Service warned Friday. The agency said the storm is likely to cause “widespread travel disruptions, prolonged power outages, and vast tree damage,” with frigid temperatures and gusty winds expanding across much of the eastern United States.
In a separate forecast discussion, the Weather Prediction Center cautioned that “catastrophic ice accumulation” is expected from parts of the Southern Plains into the South. The service said widespread freezing rain and sleet are forecast across the Southern Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, and much of the Southeast.
“The storm will cause significant to locally catastrophic ice accumulations with the potential for long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions,” the bulletin stated. Forecasters added that, once the storm passes, communities from the Southern Plains to the Northeast will contend with bitter cold and dangerously low wind chills, prolonging infrastructure and travel hazards.
Ice and snow are expected to begin later Friday in portions of Texas and Oklahoma before the system pushes eastward, spreading freezing rain and sleet across the South. Forecasters said ice could accumulate thick enough to break tree limbs and power poles, increasing the risk of widespread outages.
As the system moves north and east, heavy snow is forecast for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The National Weather Service said parts of the region, including Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston, could receive roughly a foot of snow. Boston has declared a cold emergency through the weekend, with wind chills predicted to fall well below zero.
Forecasters said major cities along the East Coast could see between 4 and 10 inches of heavy, wet snow starting Saturday, with temperatures dropping into the low 20s Fahrenheit in Washington and near 7 degrees Fahrenheit in Boston.
A National Weather Service post on Thursday indicated that as many as 160 million U.S. residents are currently under winter weather alerts, watches, or warnings related to the storm.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents to prepare for severe conditions, saying the state could experience its heaviest snowfall in years.
“We are heading into a very, very dangerous weather event,” Hochul said, citing risks of hypothermia, frostbite, and travel emergencies as the storm intensifies.
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