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A powerful winter storm is set to impact more than half of the United States this weekend, bringing heavy snow, dangerous ice accumulations, and bitter cold temperatures to millions of Americans.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings stretching approximately 2,000 miles from the Southwest to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In Atlantic City and surrounding areas of southern New Jersey, a winter storm warning will be in effect from Saturday evening through Monday morning, with forecasts calling for 6 to 10 inches of snow, ice accumulations around one-tenth of an inch, and wind gusts up to 35 mph.
According to The Washington Post, this massive system is already beginning to form off the California coast and will bring high-end totals of snow, ice, and sleet across a swath more than 1,500 miles long.
By Thursday, approximately 180 million people were under some form of winter weather advisory, watch, or warning, said Brian Hurley, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. That number has since grown to more than 200 million people under advisories related to the storm.
"This will be a large and potentially historic storm, with major impacts over a very large area (more than 2 dozen states)," AccuWeather meteorologist Bob Larson told USA TODAY, noting that "the greatest risk of a major ice storm will extend from Texas to the Carolinas."
One of the biggest concerns is ice accumulation, which meteorologists warn could be more damaging than snow. "A lot of places are expected to get at least a quarter-inch, and that's dangerous in terms of trees, powerlines and driving," Hurley explained. "Some areas are probably going to get over a half-inch and some maybe even more than that."
Two primary corridors of ice are forecast to form: one from Texas through northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, northern Mississippi and areas south of Nashville; and a second from Northeast Georgia through Upstate South Carolina and into parts of North Carolina and Virginia.
Governors from at least 14 states have issued disaster or emergency declarations, including Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
Travel disruptions are expected to be widespread. Delta Airlines has already announced flight cancellations at select airports in North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Amazon has warned customers that deliveries may take longer than usual.
The National Weather Service advises people to avoid traveling during the storm. If travel is necessary, drivers should move slowly, ensure vehicles are properly prepared for winter conditions, and carry a winter storm survival kit.
For those in Atlantic City and surrounding areas, the Monday morning commute could be particularly hazardous. Officials recommend keeping extra flashlights, food, and water in vehicles in case of emergency.
Below-normal temperatures are expected to continue through the end of January and into February, with the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast at high risk for continued frigid conditions.