Dangerous storm will cause snow, ice and intense cold in the US

A colossal winter storm is brewing in the United States, and forecasters warned Saturday of deep snow, frigid temperatures and icy roads as millions of Americans prepare for dangerous conditions.

More than 55 million people are in the path of the dangerous storm that will plunge the eastern half of the United States into freezing weather through Monday, and the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of blizzard conditions in states from the Plains central to the Mid-Atlantic.

Winter storm warnings or watches have been issued from Montana, in the country’s northwest Rocky Mountains, to the coastal states of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

Parts of the eastern states of New York and Pennsylvania are facing “heavy lake-effect snow” from the Great Lakes, which could dump up to two feet (61 centimeters) of snow on the region, according to the NWS.

Forecasting company AccuWeather said Saturday that lake-effect snow totals in the region, already covered in snow in the first week of 2025, could even exceed four feet.

A blizzard will hit the Central Plains early Sunday and “blizzard conditions will make travel extremely dangerous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists becoming stranded,” the NWS said.

Temperatures could drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) in some states, while strong gusts of wind will compound the dangers, he added.

From Kansas to Missouri and Ohio, up to 12 inches (33 centimeters) of snow is expected on Sunday. “For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in more than a decade,” according to the NWS.

The US capital, Washington, could be covered in five inches or more of snow, with up to 10 inches possible in nearby areas.

With the jet stream sliding south, temperatures are expected to drop, pushing the mercury tens of degrees below seasonal norms all the way to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Another major concern is the freezing rain and sleet expected from Kansas eastward to West Virginia and Virginia, setting the stage for a thick layer of ice to cover roads, making travel hazardous, downing trees and power lines, and potentially leaving millions of customers without power during a cold season. break.

The governors of Missouri and Virginia declared states of emergency in their states and took to social media to warn residents to expect dangerous weather this weekend.

Conditions could be especially dangerous in the Appalachian Mountains, where a deadly hurricane in late September devastated communities and ravaged several southeastern states, including Kentucky.

The storm “will likely cause significant disruption and dangerous conditions on our roads and could cause major power outages just 24 hours before it turns very cold in Kentucky,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at an emergency meeting.