From the Upper Midwest through the South, people in the U.S. are expected to face dangerous – even life-threatening – winter weather this weekend. Brutal winds, snow and ice are all in the forecast.
Overall, around 225 million people in the U.S. are expected to be impacted by the nasty weather, including Winter Storm Fern, according to a report from The Washington Post. CBS News said there is a possibility of 20 inches of snow in the Philadelphia, Pa., area.
“Dangerously cold and very dry Arctic air will expand into the Northern/Central Plains, Upper Midwest/Great Lakes today, before spilling out into the Southern Plains, Mississippi Valley and Midwest tonight,” said the National Weather Service in a Thursday weather update.
It said the blast is expected to come with “gusty winds, leading to dangerous wind chills,” that might fall below -50 degrees. Those sub-zero wind chills could reach as far south as the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Mississippi Valley and Southern Plains.
“These wind chills will pose life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin,” the NWS warned. “Additionally, any power outages caused by the impending major winter storm could prolong and compound this risk. Ensure pets and animals have protection from the cold.”
Through much of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest extreme cold warnings were in effect Thursday. Cold weather advisories and extreme cold watches were in effect farther south across the Southern Plains and Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley.
Audacy stations from Detroit, Mich., and Buffalo, N.Y., to Dallas, Texas, were preparing listeners for the cold this week. Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain were all expected in the Southern Rockies/Plains into the Mid-South beginning Friday.
“This life-threatening cold air, in conjunction with a surface front to its south and a deep mid-level disturbance moving through northern Mexico will produce a large, long-duration winter storm tracking from the Southern High Plains/Rockies to the Northeast,” said the NWS of the concerning weather hitting the U.S. South. Extreme weather could put stress on infrastructure.
According to the NWS, scattered snow squalls were also expected to create dangerous travel from the interior Northeast to northern/central New England through Friday. That dangerous Arctic air was expected to spill out over the Great Plains and Eastern U.S through the weekend as well, with “crippling ice and sleet,” predicted in portions of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley Friday thanks to a major winter storm.
“A potent mid-level trough pivoting through southeastern Canada will continue producing lake effect snow showers downwind of the Great Lakes through Friday,” said the weather service. “In addition to the lake effect snow, snow showers and snow squalls are likely to develop behind the associated strong surface cold front moving through the Northeast today, with a second round of snow squalls possible on Friday.”
Upstate New York was expected to get the first round of snow before the storm moved to New England. A second round is expected Friday afternoon, moving west to east.
“Snow squalls create an extremely dangerous combination of heavy snow rates and strong, gusty winds, leading to snow-covered roads and near-zero visibility,” the NWS explained. “If you encounter a snow squall while driving and cannot safely exit the roadway, reduce speed, turn on your lights and hazards and avoid slamming on the brakes.”
Ice is another concern. Per the NWS, widespread freezing rain and sleet are “expected south of the primary snow axis, crippling portions of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on Friday.”
A significant amount of “damaging” ice accumulation is predicted and the NWS said it could potentially cause long-lasting power outages as well as tree damage and impassable travel conditions. It said the “dangerous ice and sleet impacts shift east into parts of the Southeast, Tennessee Valley and Mid-Atlantic this weekend.”