Freeze warning, storm forecast for over 60 million people in US; Snow engulfs New York, Washington, state of emergency declared in some states
Meteorologists warned that millions of people in the east would experience blizzard conditions and that certain regions would get the most snowfall in ten years as a strong winter storm pounded the United States on Sunday, prompting the issuance of a freeze warning. According to a source, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings about gale-force winds, ice, and snow in states ranging from the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic.
The deadly storm is expected to cause significant travel disruptions by plunging the eastern part of the United States into a deep freeze of Arctic air through Monday, affecting over 60 million people.
According to AFP, the governors of Virginia, Missouri, and Kentucky have proclaimed a state of emergency in their states and have warned citizens on social media to expect dangerous weather this weekend.
Winter storm warnings have been issued for an exceptionally wide 1,500-mile (2,400-kilometer) area that is immediately at risk, extending from western Kansas all the way to the coastline states of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
The agency's Weather Prediction Center stated in its most recent prediction, released early Sunday, that the storm will bring with it significant snowfall and wind gusts of above 40 mph (64 kph) in some areas of Kansas and Missouri. It will be "the heaviest in a decade" with more than 15 inches (38 cm) of snowfall.
Snow in Washington and New York
The NWS reports that "heavy lake-effect snow" from the Great Lakes could dump up to two feet (61 cm) in parts of the eastern states of New York and Pennsylvania.
The area is already covered in snow this week, and forecaster AccuWeather warned on Saturday that the lake-effect snow total might reach four feet.
Washington, the capital of the United States, may receive five inches or more of snow, with neighboring locations perhaps receiving up to ten inches. Temperatures are predicted to drop to below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) in certain locations as the jet stream plunges southward, and powerful wind gusts will make the situation much more dangerous.
Down to the US Gulf Coast, the temperature may drop tens of degrees below typical for the season. Prior to that, the NWS predicts heavy thunderstorms in the lower Mississippi Valley.
A significant worry is that freezing rain and sleet are predicted from Kansas eastward to Kentucky and Virginia. This could result in thick ice covering roadways, making travel dangerous, pulling down trees and power lines, and perhaps leaving millions of people without power during a cold snap.