What we're covering
• Widespread threat: Two-thirds of the US population is facing down a monster winter storm and extreme cold. The storm’s snow and ice will stretch over 2,000 miles from Texas to New England as it tracks east through the weekend.
• Catastrophic ice storm: Crippling ice accumulations will weigh down and drop power lines and trees in the most serious icing zones in the South. Hundreds of thousands could lose power, some for days.
• Travel nightmare: Hundreds of flights have already been canceled ahead of the storm. Travel will be difficult to impossible on roads across the storm’s footprint.
• Record cold: More than half of all Americans will experience subzero wind chills in the next week. The extreme cold will lock snow and ice in place and leave those without power shivering for days.
DC declares state of emergency as it readies for heavy snow
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency in the city on Friday as the nation’s capital prepares for impacts from the storm.
“This will be the largest snowfall we’ve seen in a long time,” Bowser said, adding she would issue an update this weekend about whether city government offices would be closed Monday. DC schools won’t be in session on Monday and city trash pickup could be delayed due to the storm.
The city could see its biggest snowfall in more than five years this weekend, with some freezing rain likely to fall on top of the snow, adding to the hazardous road conditions.
The city is treating roads with salt and will start plowing roads tomorrow and throughout the weekend. The mayor said the DC National Guard will provide vehicle support to “ensure our first responders are able to move around the city during the storm.”
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is readying equipment to clear snow from Metro tracks but cautioned both bus and subway service could be disrupted, General Manager Randy Clarke said.
“We will only run service if it is safe; if it’s safe, we’re going to run as much service as possible,” Clarke said.
The right way to prepare for the big storm
Even moderate winter storms can wreck havoc on electricity and other infrastructure, and this one’s unlikely to be moderate. Here’s how to prepare.
Plan for days of isolation: If electricity goes out, it might not come back on quickly. Get prescriptions, medical needs, warm clothes and food in place before the storm. Make sure flashlights, radios and extra batteries are on hand.
Buy shelf-stable food: This is not the time to pick up fixins for a milk sandwich. Focus on items that won’t require electricity, refrigeration or cooking. And don’t forget bottled water. FEMA recommends storing a gallon of water for each person in your household, per day.
Protect your pipes: When the heat goes out, you don’t want water lines to follow. Simple tricks like opening cabinets to circulate warmer air and leaving faucets dripping can keep pipes from freezing and bursting.
Beware of makeshift heating systems: Never use grills, camp stoves or generators indoors. Carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly and poses a major risk from these heating sources during winter storms.
Don’t forget your car: Gas up before the storm, keep an emergency kit in your trunk (think blankets, winter clothes and phone charger) and don’t park under power lines or trees.
Number of flight cancellations Saturday continues to climb
Airlines are continuing to cancel flights Saturday as they prepare for a brutal winter storm to impact more than half the US.
More than 1,500 flights have been canceled tomorrow so far, according to FlightAware.
Dallas is disproportionately affected by the preemptive cancellations, the site shows.
More than 60% of flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, an American Airlines hub, have already been canceled.
And more than half the flights out of Dallas Love Field Airport, a Southwest Airlines hub, are also canceled.
Other airports that don’t regularly deal with snow that are seeing early cancellations include Oklahoma City, Nashville, and Delta’s Atlanta hub, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Trump admin seeks to use data centers for backup power during winter storm
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has asked grid operators to make backup generation available from facilities like data centers, as parts of the country prepare for a massive winter storm that could lead to widespread power outages.
It’s a somewhat untested plan; although some data centers have their own backup power supplies, they don’t typically distribute power to the grid. It isn’t immediately clear how they would do so in a weather emergency.
“We have identified more than 35 (gigawatts) of unused backup generation that exists across the country and are taking action to ensure that if the nation needs it, the generation will be made available,” Wright said in a news release Thursday.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Energy for more details on how the plan would be implemented.
In a letter sent to grid operators, Wright said he is invoking a section of the Federal Power Act, which gives him the authority to order “temporary connections of facilities, and generation, delivery, interchange, or transmission of electricity” in an emergency.
CNN’s Alexandra Banner, Auzinea Bacon and Ella Nilsen contributed to this report.
New ice storm warning issued in the Carolinas
An ice storm warning has just been hoisted across the western Carolinas for Saturday afternoon through early Monday afternoon. That includes Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina.
This type of warning indicates there’s a serious threat of damaging amounts of ice build-up on power lines and trees.
“Widespread power outages are likely due to the weight of the ice and snow on tree limbs and power lines. The outages could last for days in some areas,” the warning from the National Weather Service says.
Snow, sleet and freezing rain will also make travel impossible in this area.
More than 9 million people are now under ice storm warnings in the South, stretching from the lower-Mississippi Valley to the new ones just issued in the Carolinas.
Texas grid is more prepared for winter weather, but could still face problems
The Texas grid should be better prepared to withstand winter weather than it was in 2021 — when millions lost power for days.
Despite Texas officials on Thursday predicting the power would stay on, the possibility for significant ice could still down power lines, said expert Joshua Rhodes, an energy research scientist at University of Texas at Austin.
“We still might have a large number of people lose power in the state, even though it will be for a completely different reason” than the 2021 winter storm, Rhodes said in an email.
One bright spot is the enormous amount of battery storage Texas has installed since 2021, which could be essential to keeping the “system stable” if other power generators go offline, Rhodes said. However, he is also watching for the performance of the state’s fleet of natural gas pipelines and power plants, which froze in 2021.
“There’s going to be a couple days where it will not get above freezing out in the Midland region and that is one part of the electricity supply chain that I don’t think we’ve done enough to winterize,” Rhodes said.
Biggest snow in years possible in these Plains, Midwest cities
• Tulsa, Oklahoma: Up to a foot of snow is possible, which would be the first 12 inch-plus snow there since 2011. Some 14 inches fell between January 31 and February 1, 2011 — their most snowfall on record.
• Louisville, Kentucky: A foot of snow could pile up for the first time since a record February 1998 storm that buried the city under 22.4 inches. A few storms have come close to a foot since then, including one in March 2015 that brought 11.9 inches.
• Cincinnati, Ohio: Its last 12 inch-plus snowstorm was also in February 1998, when it picked up 18.5 inches. It came close as recently as last January when a storm dropped 10.6 inches.
How this brutal winter storm is even possible with climate change
Bone-chilling cold is becoming less common and severe as the world warms. Winter is the fastest-warming season in the US, and even this winter, so far, warm temperature records have been outnumbering cold records in the Lower 48 states. But events like the frigid temperatures, massive snow and deadly ice storm taking shape east of the Rockies still happen, even with climate change, and some of them could be even more severe than before when the conditions are right.
Climate change may play a role in instigating this winter storm and the Arctic cold that will follow it, experts said. The cold air invading from the Arctic comes courtesy of the polar vortex, a roaring, circular wall of wind that typically confines frigid air to the Arctic.
But the vortex can stretch, dipping south and bringing the cold air with it. That is what is happening across the U.S. now, as the stretching polar vortex pushes the jet stream down across the Central and Eastern states.
“There’s clearly this strong relationship between stretched vortex events and extreme winter weather here in the US,” said Judah Cohen, a research scientist at MIT.
And, he said, that stretching of the vortex is tied in part to sea ice loss in the Arctic that is the result of human-caused climate change.
Biggest snow in years possible in these Northeast cities
• New York City: This will likely be the first snowstorm that drops 6 inches or more on the Big Apple since January 2022. The last 12 inch-plus snowstorm was January 31 - February 3, 2021, when it saw 17.4 inches.
• Philadelphia: It’s been nearly four years since a storm dropped 6 inches or more. A foot of snow is not out of the question, and that hasn’t happened since January 2016. This storm has a chance to end both of those streaks.
• Albany, New York: At least a foot of snow could fall in New York’s capital city, which hasn’t happened in more than five years, when a December 2020 storm dropped a whooping 22.9 inches.
Ice forecasts echo historic storms
Dangerously high ice totals are expected in parts of the South with this weekend’s storm. Freezing rain could drop more than an inch of ice in parts of the lower Mississippi Valley.
Ice accumulates when rain hits the ground and freezes on contact in the cold air. Some of the worst ice storms on record in the United States have generated 1 to 2 inches of ice. Whether this weekend’s storm will be one for the history books is yet to be seen, but we know how these big ice storms have impacted the country in the past.
A massive storm in January 2009 dropped up to 2 inches of ice on parts of Kentucky and Arkansas. Snow quickly followed the ice, which increased the amount of damage and the time it took some areas to clean up and recover.
The storm killed several dozen people, caused widespread property damage and knocked out power to more than a million customers in both states.
A December 2000 ice storm brought over an inch of ice to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. That storm knocked out power to more than 500,000 homes and businesses and left some people in the dark for days if not weeks.
Memphis Mayor warns ice, not snow, poses biggest threat to power lines
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency ahead of a major winter storm expected tonight. Temperatures are forecast to stay in the single digits through at least Tuesday.
Northern parts of the state are likely to see snow while central and southern areas including Memphis face ice and freezing rain. Ice poses the greatest threat to the power grid, coating lines, downing limbs and making roads harder to clear.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young told CNN, “It’s still kind of a toss up between whether we’ll have more ice than snow. When we have a lot of ice, that’s what challenges our power grid and it’s just more dangerous for absolutely everyone.”
Mayor Young said the city is preparing its emergency teams and equipment to respond to the storm. He also compared the forecast to the 1994 ice storm, which left much of Memphis without power for days and caused thousands of downed limbs. That storm caused $6.4 billion in damages and made it onto NOAA’s old Billion Dollar Disasters list and killed nine people.
He urged residents to stay home and stock up on supplies, saying, “Make sure you have enough resources in the home to sustain for a couple of days if needed.” Mayor Young also advised checking on neighbors who may need help and avoiding travel if possible.
Forecasters are using dire language for this storm
Forecasters are escalating the language around this massive storm, warning of extremely dangerous travel and potentially long-lasting power outages from ice.
“Catastrophic impacts are expected where freezing rain amounts exceed a half inch,” the Weather Prediction Center warned Friday morning, noting over an inch of ice is possible in some areas.
That’s most likely from the Louisiana-Arkansas border, through much of Mississippi and into the southern Appalachians.
Mississippi has the highest concentration of ice storm warnings in effect, with forecasters there warning of “crippling ice accumulations.”
“Prepare to delay travel as roads and bridges are expected to be treacherous if not impossible this weekend,” the National Weather Service in Memphis, Tennessee — which also serves northern Mississippi — warned Friday.
Ice will not only bring travel to a halt, it will likely lead to many power outages — some of which could last for days, if not longer.
States of emergency now issued in 12 states
At least 12 states have issued a state of emergency to help free up and mobilize resources to respond to and prepare for the storm now that Kentucky and New York have joined the fray Friday morning.
The list includes Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and New York, Kentucky.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a disaster declaration covering 134 counties to similarly mobilize resources. The storm is conjuring traumatic memories from a deadly 2021 winter storm and Arctic cold blast that crippled the state’s power grid.
The governor emphasized the state’s electrical grid is prepared to handle this storm, adding, “There is no expectation whatsoever that there’s going to be any loss of power from the power grid.”
Hochul declares state of emergency for New York
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Friday as a massive winter storm barrels toward the northeast.
Hochul said she has authorized all state employees to work remotely on Monday, and encouraged private employers “to do the same, just to keep people off the roads.”
Hochul also suspended early voting for a number of special elections on Sunday due to weather, saying she might do so for Monday as well.
“We are heading into a very, very dangerous weather event,” Hochul said, warning New Yorkers about the dangerous cold temperatures heading their way. Hochul said snow and cold are the biggest concerns in the state.
“By tomorrow night, we’ll be experiencing some of the most dangerous cold we’ve seen in years,” Hochul said, noting that parts of Upstate New York could see wind chill temperatures at -40 or -50 degrees Fahrenheit.
American Airlines repositioning planes, adding staffing ahead of storm
American Airlines is repositioning its aircraft and adding more staffing ahead of the winter storm.
“We’re repositioning aircraft, aligning crew resources and reinforcing staffing at key airports while coordinating with our partners to help minimize disruption and set the stage for a fast, safe recovery once conditions improve,” the airline told CNN.
Major US airlines are bracing for the impact of the brutal winter storm that is threatening more than half the country beginning Friday.
American and other airlines have issued travel alerts or waived fees associated with changing travel this weekend.
Hundreds of flights canceled ahead of the storm
Air travel is already taking a blow before the winter storm cranks into gear.
More than 1,400 flights have been canceled in the US Saturday, according to FlightAware. Another 400 have been canceled today, but not all of those are due to the winter storm.
Airports in the early path of the storm are experiencing the most issues on Friday, including Dallas-area airports and Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers International Airport.
On Saturday, that list expands with the storm’s footprint to include Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and airports in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee.
The number of cancellations and delays will grow exponentially given the storm.
When the storm will begin and worsen
The storm is just hours away from starting in the Plains. It will then intensify through Friday night as it spreads toward the mid-Mississippi Valley.
Arctic air has already charged southward through the Plains to set the table for the massive storm. It’s awaiting a system in the Southwest to pull moisture into the frigid air.
This clash will cause pockets of snow, sleet and freezing rain to develop from New Mexico and Colorado into the Texas Panhandle and western Kansas by early afternoon.
The real ramp up of wintry weather will be late this afternoon and evening over northern Texas, including Dallas, much of Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and Kansas.
Travel conditions will deteriorate rapidly over those areas by late today.
Here's how much ice is expected
Extreme icing is expected in parts of the South this weekend.
Here's how much snow is expected
Use the buttons below to see the snow forecast for Friday (24 hours), Friday through Saturday (48 hours) and Friday through Sunday (72 hours, whole storm total).
Latest Forecast
• Overview: A major winter storm is about to get underway in the Plains and will continue to intensify through Friday night as it spreads toward the mid-Mississippi Valley.
A combination of winter storm alerts and extreme cold alerts are in effect for nearly every state east of the Rockies.
• Saturday: The storm’s trail of snow and ice will likely stretch over 1,000 miles — from Texas and Oklahoma to the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.
• Sunday: The Northeast gets slammed by snow, although freezing rain and sleet could mix in near the mid-Atlantic coast.
• Threats: Ice build up from freezing rain will cause long-lasting power outages and major tree damage in parts of the South.
• Heavy snow will pile up to a foot or more from the Plains to the Ohio Valley and Northeast, making travel impossible.
• Confidence: There is high confidence that a significant winter storm will impact a large portion of the country, from the Plains to the East Coast this weekend. The storm’s track is much more certain now, but small shifts could still cause changes in local impacts, especially where the snow and ice zones meet.
