Millions in New Mexico, Carolina brace for ice storm; heavy snow warning for Washington

MILLIONS of Americans, stretching from New Mexico to the Carolinas, are preparing for a potentially devastating ice storm that could down trees, snap power lines, and leave communities without electricity for days.

Meanwhile, cities including Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston may receive enough snowfall to make travel extremely hazardous or nearly impossible, forecasters warned, according to AP.

As per a report by Reuters, Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's (NWS) Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm) of heavy, wet snow was expected to begin falling Saturday, with temperatures dropping into the low 20s Fahrenheit (minus 5.5 C) in Washington, D.C. Boston, meanwhile, was forecast to see overnight lows near 7 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 14 C).

The NWS said Thursday afternoon that roughly 160 million people, nearly half of the US population, were under various winter storm watches, warnings, and advisories. These alerts spanned a vast area, reaching from Arizona and Montana in the West to the Carolinas and Maine in the East.

The storm is forecast to start Friday and last through the weekend, bringing heavy snow and a wide mix of winter weather, including freezing rain and sleet. Forecasters say an atmospheric river of moisture could set up by the weekend, spreading precipitation across Texas and other Gulf Coast states, then moving through Georgia and the Carolinas before tracking farther northeast.

Weather service forecasters on the East Coast, who are increasingly confident the storm will strike the big cities, stated, “Snow amounts could reach a foot or more in the I-95 major cities from D.C. to Boston.” Forecasters at the NWS office serving Washington and Baltimore warned that the region could face serious dangers as heavy snow and ice combine with extended, bitterly cold temperatures, creating major threats to both life and property across nearly the entire area.

‘Code Blue’

As the storm moved in, New York state was expected to remain under a “Code Blue", a measure that requires social service agencies to extend shelter hours and make sure homeless residents can access safe, warm spaces, as per Reuters. Chicago was forecast to plunge into a deep freeze, with temperatures dropping to 2 degrees below zero Fahrenheit on Friday and Saturday, along with dangerous wind chills near 30 below zero (minus 34 C).

Meanwhile, in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued a state of emergency, mobilising additional personnel and equipment to assist with traffic management, monitor power outages, and carry out rescues for people affected by the storm. He also encouraged residents to stay alert and take precautions, urging Texans to “remain weather-aware, check DriveTexas.org before traveling, and heed the guidance of state and local officials”.

Forecasters said the system should move out of most areas by late Sunday or early Monday, but intense cold will linger. An Arctic blast moving south from Canada could keep temperatures extremely low, with Fargo, North Dakota, expected to see a high of just 5 degrees below zero on Saturday.