A major winter storm that could linger for several days began sweeping across the Southern Rockies and the Central and Southern Plains on Friday, before pushing east through the Mid-South and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Monday.
The powerful system is expected to deliver widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain, creating hazardous travel conditions, potential power outages, and tree damage, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say the heaviest snowfall will stretch across a broad region, including parts of the Southern Rockies, the Plains, and extending through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In some areas, snowfall totals are expected to exceed one foot, likely causing significant travel disruptions.
In Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked people not to travel in during the stormy winter weather this weekend unless it is absolutely necessary. She said, “We’re experiencing the biggest snowstorm in a decade in DC this weekend.”
We’re experiencing the biggest snowstorm in a decade in DC this weekend.
Our DC Gov teams are prepared to handle this weekend’s weather.
Be patient with our snow teams as we work to clear roads. Let’s have a safe weekend, DC. pic.twitter.com/686UgxTkX4
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 23, 2026
South of the primary snow band, widespread freezing rain and sleet are forecast across the Southern Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, and much of the Mid-Atlantic. The most severe icing could bring catastrophic impacts where ice accumulations exceed half an inch, with totals of more than one inch possible in parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and the Southern Appalachians.
As of Friday, approximately 177 million people were under winter storm watches or warnings for snow and ice, while more than 200 million were affected by cold weather advisories or warnings.
In the storm’s wake, a powerful Arctic air mass originating from Canada is expected to plunge into the eastern two-thirds of the United States and persist into early next week. The National Weather Service warns that sub-zero low temperatures will spread across the region, accompanied by gusty winds that will drive wind chills to dangerously low levels.
Wind chills could drop below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit across the Northern Plains, with numerous record low temperatures possible elsewhere. The NWS cautioned that these conditions pose a life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite, especially if power outages—caused by the winter storm—are prolonged.
Cold temperatures are expected to persist across much of the eastern U.S. into early February, according to a key message from the Climate Prediction Center.
Meanwhile, utility companies across the country are preparing for possible power disruptions. The storm has already impacted air travel, with more than 1,000 flights delayed or canceled nationwide on Friday, according to FlightAware. Nearly 2,300 flights were canceled for Saturday.
Along the Gulf Coast, forecasters are also monitoring the potential for strong thunderstorms on Sunday across parts of southern Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida Panhandle, as a mid-level trough moves into the Gulf region.
Huma Nisar is Associate Editor at Views and News. She also writes opinion articles on health, society and diet.
