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An incoming weather system in the nation’s Mid-South and Eastern corridors is shaping up to be a potentially dangerous icy blast across the U.S., prompting officials to warn Americans to buckle down and think ahead before the storm hits.
“Please prepare and take precautions in the event of power outages, pipe-bursts, road closures, airport delays, flight cancellations, and freezing temperatures,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a Wednesday statement.
“Federal emergency management is positioning to effectively respond to these conditions, and is prepared to provide aid across the affected areas. Stay safe and prepare,” she continued.
The storm is expected to potentially drop a payload of icy rain on areas of the East Coast, along with some swaths of the Mid-South. “Not snow, not rain, but ‘crippling’ freezing rain –> amounts that are catastrophic if even a small portion accretes or flash freezes on contact with trees or power lines,” wrote Ryan Maue, a popular meteorologist and forecaster on X.
The storm is expected to hit later this week. According to the National Weather Service, it may hit first in the southern Rockies and Plains area of the U.S. on Thursday, then move toward the Mid-South on Friday. It is expected to sweep through the East Coast over the weekend, according to their prediction.
Per NWS, heavy snow is expected to fall in most places, but most alarmingly, “broad swaths of freezing rain and sleet are expected south of the all-snow zone over the Southern Plains, Mid-South, and likely the Carolinas.”
The organization predicted upcoming likely hazardous travel conditions, power outages, and tree damage.
Meteorologist Jordan Steele remarked on X that this “will be the biggest winter storm of the season. And for some of us – the biggest storm in the last SEVERAL years.”
He observed on Tuesday that Americans in the storm’s path may be wise to plan for several days of going without power, and cautioned against planning to travel over the weekend, just in case. “This could be a situation where people get stuck on the highway,” he assessed.
According to Fox Weather, 175 million people across 30 states are in the path of this incoming freezing storm.