A widespread winter storm is bringing moderate to heavy snow and ice to the central and southern states as of early Friday and has already caused tens of thousands of power outages in Texas and Arkansas.
Cities including Dallas-Fort Worth; Plano, Texas; and Oklahoma City will be cleaning up from the snow that fell overnight. On the north side of Dallas, 3-to-5-inch snow amounts were common. A foot of snow was reported just south of Amarillo, Texas. Oklahoma reported as much as 9 inches and Kansas 10 inches.
The state of Arkansas, including the city of Little Rock, will receive some of the storm’s heaviest snow – it could be the biggest storm there since February 2021. Little Rock reported heavy snow throughout Thursday night.
Residents of northern Mississippi, northern Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri also awakened to wintry precipitation on Friday morning.
The bulky system will continue to trek east and north throughout Friday into early Saturday, bringing moderate to major impacts to more than a dozen states from Arkansas to Delaware and southward to Georgia and northward to Michigan.
There are concerns about damaging amounts of ice in northern Georgia, including Atlanta, and the Carolinas.
Most of the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington and the Northeast will be spared a significant event. A coating up to an inch or two is forecast early Saturday. Still, temperatures in the teens and 20s will mean that snow has no trouble creating a slick covering on roads and sidewalks.
The storm will push off the East Coast later Saturday, leaving cold, dry air in its wake.
City-by-city forecasts
To help prepare for the storm, here are forecasts for the areas around six cities that will bear the brunt of the effects. Each forecast starts with a winter storm-impact rating – a subjective assessment of the severity of the conditions expected from the storm, with zero being the least impactful and 10 being the most. The rating also accounts for the relatively rare nature of winter storms in these locations.
Atlanta
Winter storm-impact rating: 9 out of 10
Friday will be snowy and icy for millions of people across central and northern Georgia, including Atlanta, Athens and Marietta. Travel will be very slick along Interstates 20, 75 and 85. For Atlanta, snow early Friday may accumulate 1 to 3 inches before quickly changing to sleet and freezing rain. Cold air funneling down the spine of the Appalachian Mountains will cause widespread icy conditions in northern Georgia from Friday afternoon into the night, including during the evening commute. The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, wrote that “significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages.” The weight of the ice, combined with 15-to-30-mph wind gusts, add to the concern for power outages and damage. The icy mix will come to an end early Saturday. Freezing overnight temperatures into next week will cause slippery spots to redevelop.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Winter storm-impact rating: 7 out of 10
Moderate to heavy snow is expected across Tennessee on Friday, with an icy mix in the southern portion of the state. Along Interstate 75 from Knoxville to Chattanooga, snow will start on Friday morning, and the road will quickly become snow-covered and slippery. Snow may mix with sleet Friday afternoon, creating a crusty covering of ice, before changing back to snow Friday night. By the time it all ends early Saturday, 3 to 6 inches of snow is forecast to accumulate. Freezing temperatures most mornings may lead to black ice.
Greenville, South Carolina
Winter storm-impact rating: 8 out of 10
A wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain will develop across much of South Carolina on Friday morning, intensifying during the afternoon. For cities such as Greenville and Columbia, an initial burst of snow will be followed by increasingly icy conditions. In Greenville, 2 to 4 inches of snow are forecast to accumulate before the changeover. Interstates 85, 26 and 77 may become very icy from Friday afternoon through the night, leading to dangerous travel conditions and a chance for downed tree limbs and power outages. While the wintry weather will end early Saturday, black ice due to freezing temperatures may linger into next week.
Charlotte
Winter storm-impact rating: 8 out of 10
The winter storm will have a significant impact across much of North Carolina, including Charlotte. Snow is forecast to begin within a few hours of midday Friday, falling at a moderate intensity through the afternoon and accumulating 1 to 3 inches. By Friday evening, snow is forecast to change to sleet and freezing rain, with increasingly icy conditions developing during the overnight hours. The amount of ice could be substantial and lead to “numerous power outages” according to the National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina. The ice will end early Saturday, but its effects may linger for several days.
Norfolk
Winter storm-impact rating: 7 out of 10
As the storm approaches the East Coast, it will gain some strength. This is because cold, continental air associated with the storm will clash with warmer air above the Atlantic Ocean. The result will be a swath of moderate snow for southern Virginia, including Norfolk and Williamsburg, as well as Richmond starting Friday evening. Snowfall of 2 to 5 inches may accumulate in this relatively narrow corridor by sunrise Saturday, potentially topped with a crusty layer of ice. The storm will depart Saturday morning with chilly temperatures in its wake.
Washington
Winter storm-impact rating: 3 out of 10
For the nation’s capital, the second storm this week is expected to be less impactful than the first. A modest snow accumulation of an inch or two is expected late Friday into early Saturday in D.C., enough to create slippery conditions on area roads. Temperatures in the 20s will mean that the snow is powdery, making it easy to clear. The fast-moving storm will give way to a chilly weekend.
What to know about the frigid, dry weather to follow the storm
Several cold, Canadian high-pressure systems will move into the United States over the next week, bringing generally dry conditions to storm-affected areas.
Frigid air will be over the Plains on Monday morning, the Midwest on Tuesday morning and the East Coast on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning, bringing subzero temperatures from North Dakota to West Virginia and single digits and teens elsewhere.
There’s a chance that temperatures in the single digits and teens could stretch into the Southeast, with 20s arriving in parts of Florida.
After this polar plunge, temperatures will moderate, but only briefly.
Another major Arctic blast is possible around Jan. 20, possibly giving rise to another major winter storm.
While winter started slow in December, it is making up for lost time in January.