Around 50 million people are being warned about winter weather as the first storm of the new year is expected to start on Saturday. The National Weather Service says the storm will cause dangerous travel, heavy snow, ice, and very low temperatures in the Midwest, South, and East, possibly breaking temperature records.

The National Weather Service (NWS) says a storm is coming that will bring cold Arctic air. It will start affecting the Central Plains late on Saturday, move across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Sunday, and reach the Mid-Atlantic states by Sunday night.

Areas between central Kansas and Indiana have a 60% to 90% chance of getting at least eight inches of snow. Some places may have their heaviest snowfall in 10 years.

The NWS also warns that Sunday morning could bring whiteout conditions in the Central Plains, with strong winds of up to 35 mph and heavy snow, possibly causing blizzards.

The storm is expected to bring dangerous ice and freezing rain to the Mid-South, including areas from eastern Kansas and the Ozarks to the Ohio valley. This could affect the Ozarks, Tennessee and lower Ohio valleys, and the southern Appalachians.

Which States Will Be Most Affected By The Winter Storm?

The winter storm will likely bring at least eight inches of snow to areas like southern Nebraska, most of Kansas, southern Iowa, central and northern Missouri, central Illinois, southern Indiana, southern Ohio, northern West Virginia, northern Virginia, almost all of Maryland, Washington, D.C., far southern Pennsylvania, and most of Delaware. There is also a chance of ice buildup of at least a quarter of an inch in places like southeast Kansas, southern Missouri, far southern Illinois, much of Kentucky, northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and southern West Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.

Will the Winter Storm Affect Travel?

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Friday that “travel of all kinds will likely be very difficult and extremely dangerous” in areas with heavy snow or freezing rain. It’s still unclear how the storm will affect flights, but the Federal Aviation Administration updates flight status information regularly on its social media page.

Surprising Fact

The storm’s cold temperatures could make January the coldest in the U.S. since 2011, according to AccuWeather expert Paul Pastelok. He said the cold will last for many days, not just a few.

Key Background

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted in October that the southwestern, southern, and eastern U.S. would have warmer-than-usual temperatures this winter. They also forecast wetter weather in the northern U.S. and drier conditions in much of the southeast, Gulf Coast, and lower Mid-Atlantic. This comes after the warmest fall in the U.S. in over 130 years, with temperatures 4.1 degrees higher than normal.

Published: 4th January 2024

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