Millions of Americans are bracing themselves for the most extensive winter storm in decades, which is expected to bring catastrophic conditions across 35 states. The National Weather Service has issued over 200 million people under various alerts, including winter storm warnings, ice storm warnings, and cold weather advisories.
The storm's impact will be felt from Texas to the Northeast, with areas along the outer bands of the storm forecast to see up to six inches of snow. Major cities such as New York City, Boston, and Oklahoma City are expected to receive between 12 and 18 inches of snow, while parts of the South can expect accumulations of ice.
The weight of ice on power lines is a major concern, with officials warning that it's more likely to cause outages than snow. The National Guard has been activated in at least 10 states, and a state of emergency has been declared in over two dozen states.
"It's the largest storm that we've seen impact the most states in this big of a population in possibly decades," said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "The danger of this weather cannot be overstated."
The clear message from state leaders to residents is to stay home and avoid driving, but already dozens of drivers have slid off the roads. Nashville city transportation officials are struggling to cope with the storm, with only 45 snow plows available to clear hundreds of miles of roads.
As temperatures plummet, wind chills are expected to bring mercury levels into negative territory, making it difficult for crews to work on the roads. The National Weather Service has warned that catastrophic impacts are expected in areas where freezing rain amounts exceed a half inch, with over one inch totals possible in parts of northern Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, southern Tennessee, and the southern Appalachians.
In total, over 86 million people are under a cold weather advisory, which is issued when temperatures or wind chills are expected to fall to or below 15 degrees but remain about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The storm's effects will be felt for days to come, with communities from the Southern Plains to the Northeast contending with bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills.
The storm's impact will be felt from Texas to the Northeast, with areas along the outer bands of the storm forecast to see up to six inches of snow. Major cities such as New York City, Boston, and Oklahoma City are expected to receive between 12 and 18 inches of snow, while parts of the South can expect accumulations of ice.
The weight of ice on power lines is a major concern, with officials warning that it's more likely to cause outages than snow. The National Guard has been activated in at least 10 states, and a state of emergency has been declared in over two dozen states.
"It's the largest storm that we've seen impact the most states in this big of a population in possibly decades," said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "The danger of this weather cannot be overstated."
The clear message from state leaders to residents is to stay home and avoid driving, but already dozens of drivers have slid off the roads. Nashville city transportation officials are struggling to cope with the storm, with only 45 snow plows available to clear hundreds of miles of roads.
As temperatures plummet, wind chills are expected to bring mercury levels into negative territory, making it difficult for crews to work on the roads. The National Weather Service has warned that catastrophic impacts are expected in areas where freezing rain amounts exceed a half inch, with over one inch totals possible in parts of northern Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, southern Tennessee, and the southern Appalachians.
In total, over 86 million people are under a cold weather advisory, which is issued when temperatures or wind chills are expected to fall to or below 15 degrees but remain about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The storm's effects will be felt for days to come, with communities from the Southern Plains to the Northeast contending with bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills.
A massive winter storm is gonna hit like 35 states, oh man... over 200 million people are on alert 
. I'm worried about the power lines, ice is more likely to cause outages than snow 
. And the roads are already a mess, Nashville city is struggling to keep up with just 45 snow plows 
. The temps are gonna drop so low that crews can't even work on the roads 
. It's like, stay home and avoid driving, but people are already taking risks... I don't know what's more exhausting, this storm or trying to plan for it 
. and what about all those folks in the South with ice accumulations, they're gonna be shoveling snow in subzero temps, fun times ahead 
nashville transportation officials are gonna need a lot of help, i guess. and ugh those wind chills are gonna be soooo cold... mercury levels into negative territory? 
like, how is anyone s'posed to work outside in that?! anywayz, stay safe out there everyone! 
. I feel for everyone in Nashville, their transportation system is gonna get absolutely trashed 
. Anyway, I guess it's just one of those things we gotta deal with when winter comes around 
!
42°C sounds like freezing temps... what's wind chill even?! 
. Can't we just have a mild winter for once?! 
. it's crazy how quickly things can escalate when you're dealing with weather like this 
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