One of the most extreme winter storms in years is set to deliver damaging ice and heavy snow to nearly half the US

By Meteorologist Chris Dolce, CNN

(CNN) — A major winter storm — among the most extreme and widespread in years — is set to lash more than two dozen states with damaging ice and heavy snow late this week.

It’s all being fed and worsened by a brutal blast of Arctic air that could set records during the typical coldest time of the year.

The storm will be so extensive, its snow, sleet and freezing rain could stretch more than 1,500 miles from the Plains across the South and into the Northeast. Major travel disruption on roads and at airports is a given across its entire footprint, and widespread and potentially long-lasting power outages are also possible, particularly from its ice storm in the South.

The extreme cold will worsen the storm and its impacts by causing snow and ice to accumulate faster on roads, making them harder to treat, and possibly leaving those that lose power shivering without heat for days.

Snow and ice will start to develop over the Central and Southern Plains on Friday as the storm begins to intensify and then expand on Saturday, stretching from Oklahoma and northern Texas to North Carolina and Virginia by Saturday night. Snow and possibly ice should continue through Sunday night in parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

However, the track of this storm and how it interacts with the blast of cold air is still somewhat uncertain and that will make a big difference when it comes to snow and ice totals in any one location. Those details will come into better focus over the next couple of days.

Winter storm watches have been hoisted for more than 50 million people across parts of almost 20 states ahead of the storm and more are likely in the next day or two.

Ice could knock out power to many

Damaging ice from freezing rain is the storm’s most serious threat.

Freezing rain causes ice to build up on surfaces, and its tremendous amount of added weight can bring down trees and power lines. The amount of ice in a worst-case scenario for this storm could cause many power outages, some that could be long-lasting. But power outages are likely even in the most likely scenario.

Portions of the South from northern and eastern Texas into the lower-Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, northern Georgia and parts of the Carolinas are at greatest risk for significant icing and power outages based on the current forecast. This includes major cities such as Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Huntsville, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Travel could be brought to a standstill across major cities even with smaller amounts of ice.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources on Tuesday to prepare for the storm. Crews to pre-treat roadways and personnel and equipment to support any motorists who become stranded are among the resources, according to a news release from the governor’s office. Agencies will also monitor power and natural gas utilities.

In Georgia, state agencies were also working to pre-treat roads and prepare, Gov. Brian Kemp said in a Wednesday social media post. “Take this time to secure food, fill up on gas and ensure you’re prepared for any potential loss of power,” Kemp urged residents.

Heavy snow threat from Plains to East Coast

Heavy snow will pile up for a wide area to the north of the storm’s freezing rain zone.

A half-foot or more of snow could fall from far northern Texas, much of Oklahoma and southern Kansas through the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys and into the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast. Some could see as much as a foot.

Exactly where the most snow happens will depend on the storm’s track, which is still unclear, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma, Louisville, Kentucky, Washington, DC, and New York City are in play.

Sleet or freezing rain could mix with snow in some areas, which complicates the forecast and makes potential snowfall totals less certain.

One thing thing is clear: Brutal cold is on the way for millions, and any snow and ice that accumulates will not melt quickly. That means any impacts could last into early next week for areas that see significant snow and ice totals.

Record-breaking cold possible

The Arctic cold invasion that will feed this winter storm arrives in the Midwest and Plains Thursday into Friday and will then spread into the South and East this weekend. Dozens of locations could break daily high and low cold temperature records, especially this weekend into early next week.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Raleigh, North Carolina, are among the cities threatening to break cold records, with highs not expected to rise out of the mid-20s on Saturday. Dallas-Fort Worth could approach record lows both those days, possibly bottoming near 10 degrees Sunday and Monday.

The worst of the cold kicks in with temperatures that will be more than 30 degrees below average by Friday in much of the Midwest and Plains. That’s significant since mid-to-late January is when average temperatures are already at their lowest level for many locations east of the Rockies.

Thermometers in the Twin Cities will likely remain below zero all day on Friday and lows both that morning and Saturday might bottom out near minus 20 degrees. Chicago could see at least two consecutive mornings with subzero low temperatures.

Dangerously cold wind chills are also expected. The upper Midwest will see them fall between 30 and 50 degrees below zero. Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in as little as 10 minutes when wind chills are this cold.

The worst of the cold will push into parts of the South while also spreading into the Northeast on Saturday, plunging thermometers as much as 20 to 40 degrees colder than average.

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