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A powerful winter storm is set to sweep across much of the US this weekend, bringing potentially record-breaking cold, heavy snow and ice that forecasters warn could cause hazardous conditions, power outages and travel disruptions.<\/p>\n
The storm is expected to bring \u201cwidespread heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain\u201d from the southern Rockies and the plains into the mid-south on Friday, before spreading east to the mid-Atlantic and New England areas this weekend, according to the US National Weather Service<\/a>. The impact in New England will potentially linger into Monday.<\/p>\n As of Thursday afternoon, over 160 million Americans are under winter hazards associated with the impending winter storm, the agency said<\/a>, with \u201cwidespread heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain\u201d expected from the southern Rockies to New England from Friday through Monday. <\/strong><\/p>\n The agency said<\/a>: \u201cSnowfall totals exceeding 12 inches are likely across the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.\u201d<\/p>\n Weather officials have also said that \u201cwidespread freezing rain and sleet\u201d are forecast for parts of the southern plains, the lower Mississippi valley, the Tennessee valley, the south-east and southern Virginia<\/a>. \u201cSignificant and damaging ice accumulations\u201d are likely, and there is the potential for power outages, tree damage and dangerous travel conditions.<\/p>\n The freezing rain and sleet are expected in areas of the southern plains and lower Mississippi valley on Friday, and are forecast to shift east into parts of the south-east, the Tennessee valley and the mid-Atlantic this weekend.<\/p>\n Widespread travel disruptions are expected and \u201cextremely cold air behind the storm will prolong hazardous travel and infrastructure impacts\u201d, the weather service said.<\/p>\n Officials are warning<\/a> of bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold windchill. The cold air is expected<\/a> to spread into the northern and central plains, the midwest and the Great Lakes region on Thursday, before pushing into the southern plains, the Mississippi valley and the midwest by Thursday night.<\/p>\n Officials have noted that the expected windchill could \u201cpose life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin\u201d.<\/p>\n In New York, weather officials have said<\/a> that the winter storm is likely to arrive on Saturday. They warn that snow may began falling as early as Saturday night, with the heaviest snow probably falling on Sunday into Sunday evening. Between 8 and 16in of snow is expected for parts of the New York region, according to NBC New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n As of Thursday, various areas are under winter storm watch alerts,<\/a> which are issued when there is a potential for \u201csignificant and hazardous winter weather within 48 hours\u201d. Areas under alert include parts <\/strong>of Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Kansas, Illinois, and New York.<\/p>\n As of Thursday morning, winter storm warnings, which are sent out when heavy snow is expected, have been issued<\/a> for parts of New York, as well as parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas.<\/p>\n In preparation for the expected winter storm, governors including South Carolina\u2019s Henry McMaster,<\/a> Georgia\u2019s Brian Kemp<\/a>, Texas\u2019s Greg Abbott<\/a>, Arkansas\u2019s Sarah Huckabee Sanders<\/a> Virginia\u2019s Abigail Spanberger<\/a>, Lousiana\u2019s Jeff Landry<\/a>, and North Carolina\u2019s Josh Stein<\/a> have declared states of emergency to activate state emergency response resources. Other governors, including West Virginia\u2019s Patrick Morrisey<\/a> and Maryland\u2019s Wes Moore<\/a>, have declared a \u201cstate of preparedness\u201d.<\/p>\n