More than 40 million people are gearing up for extreme winter weather as an arctic blast is currently en route to hit over a dozen states across the country. In addition, the storm has also forced airlines to ground more than 900 flights.
The storm, set to blanket states such as Idaho and Michigan in a thick layer of snow, first swept across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest over the weekend.
Now, meteorologists predict temperatures will drop 40F degrees lower than average in the next several days as millions of Americans are under wind chill advisories.
The frigid weather bomb will send an icy wind chill across the northern part of the U.S. Now, forecasters warn that people can contract frostbite in just ten minutes of exposure.
Previously, the National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory after they expected a prolonged and intense weather front to hit at least 15 states, extending from the Northern Plains to the Tennessee Valley.
At the time, states under severe weather warnings include regions of Texas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Montana.
“Total freezing rain amounts could become significant across regions of central Texas, southwest Oklahoma, central Arkansas, and western Tennessee, where over a quarter inch of ice accrual is forecast,” a meteorologist said.
They added: “Additionally, low to moderate chances for three-day ice accretion over a half inch exists over parts of central Texas and Arkansas.”
In addition, the winter blast is also expected to hit the southern tier of the U.S. regions of Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Tennessee. As a result, the southern states will be under the ice storm warning from Monday evening until Wednesday afternoon.
Icy winter weather set to hit dozens of states in the coming week
Then, the chilly weather will migrate south by Tuesday into parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
According to forecasters, residents in Oklahoma City could see up to an inch of snowfall paired with icy winds. Meanwhile, those in Springfield, Missouri, will see snow and sleet up to an inch.
“The snow will result in reduced visibility, and the snow/ice will produce hazardous driving conditions,” the weather service previously cautioned.
According to reports, dozens of states will be under a type of winter weather advisory until mid-week. In addition, parts of Eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley could see freezing rain and sleet, worrying officials about the dangers of scattered flash floods.
Multiple Texas school districts have already closed schools to prepare for mother nature’s ire. At the same time, airline officials canceled hundreds of flights at a North Texas airport after the weather battered the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Over the weekend, snow fell in several states with snow as the wintery weather moved in, leaving Colorado’s mountain towns blanketed in almost three feet of snow.
