A Chilly Weekend Ahead: What You Need to Know

A massive storm is set to bring heavy snow and freezing temperatures to a huge part of the U.S. this weekend. This storm is expected to affect about 150 million people, which is almost half the country's population.

Impacted Areas and Warnings

• Appalachians and West Virginia: Up to 20 inches of snow.
• Eastern U.S.: Icy roads and possible power outages due to ice-laden trees and branches falling and snapping power lines.

"Half of all Americans are under some form of weather advisory due to the extreme cold in the North and the storm." — Brian Hurley, Meteorologist, National Weather Service

Major Cities Bracing for Impact

• New York City, Boston, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.: 4 to 10 inches of heavy, wet snow starting Saturday.
• Boston: Low of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
• New York State: Under "Code Blue"—extended shelter hours for the homeless.
• Chicago: "Deep freeze" with a low of 2 degrees below zero on Friday and Saturday.
• Dangerous wind chills of 30 below zero expected.
• Space heaters selling out at local hardware stores.
• Texas: Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency.
• Extra personnel and equipment activated to control traffic, monitor power outages, and rescue trapped individuals.

Storm Timeline and Additional Hazards

• The storm is expected to clear out by late Sunday or early Monday.
• Arctic blast from Canada will bring a high temperature of only 5 degrees below zero on Saturday in Fargo, North Dakota.
• Ice accumulations of up to half an inch expected from Central Virginia to northern Texas.