A massive winter storm system is forecast to sweep the country this weekend, stretching from Central Texas through the Northeast.
The National Weather Service says the system will dump heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Southern Plains to the Mid-South starting Friday. The storm is expected to move across the East Coast throughout the weekend, according to a bulletin from the NWS posted on Wednesday.
The NWS warned of "treacherous travel conditions, prolonged power outages, and tree damage," across the southeast U.S. Government officials in these areas are asking residents to avoid traveling and prepare for possible power outages.
A blast of cold air from Canada will mix with warmer air from the south, bringing significant snow and ice accumulations, forecasters said.
The wind chill may fall below negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit across the Northern Plains, including in parts of North Dakota and Minnesota, while people from Texas to North Carolina could feel wind chills below zero, according to the NWS.
Forecasters are confident in their predictions of "an impactful and prolonged winter storm" but specific details on exactly where the storm will hit and how much precipitation will fall may change.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, winter storm watches have been issued for large areas across several states, including in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia.
The system is "the most significant" widespread winter storm the country has seen in a while, said Jason Furtado, an associate professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.
"We're going to see snow and ice dipping way down into the South," Furtado said. "We're talking down into areas of Oklahoma, Texas, over to the southeast, even parts of Georgia into the Piedmont."
Furtado said beyond the snow, extreme temperatures will dip large parts of the southern U.S. into single digits.
"It's not just the precipitation," Furtado said. "It's the extreme cold that's coming in behind us as well."
Texans remember the storm of 2021
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources ahead of the storm.
"Based on current forecasts, the State of Texas is acting to ensure Texans have the resources they need before severe winter weather impacts communities across Texas," Abbott said in a statement on Tuesday, urging Texans to prepare for ice, snow and freezing rain.
Allison Prater, a meteorologist with the NWS in Fort Worth, Texas, said freezing temperatures from this storm won't last as long or be as low as they were in 2021, when another winter storm left millions without power in below-freezing temperatures for days. In Texas, at least 246 deaths have been linked to the 2021 winter storm and the days-long blackout.
"In 2021, the minimum temperature was negative 2" in Texas, said Prater. "While as of right now in our forecast, the minimum temperature is only going to be around … 9 to 10."
Still, Prater said, it will be "dangerously cold."
"We want people to be prepared," Prater said. "We want people to have their preparations in place by Friday because conditions and hazards are going to get worse throughout the weekend."
Ed Hirs, an energy expert at the University of Houston, said while the Texas grid is more resilient than it was five years ago, the cold snap could freeze wind turbines or have other impacts that disrupt power generation.
Because of the state's vast geographic area, it's difficult for the power grid operator to isolate problem systems, he said.
"So, a problem in Austin could lead to failure in Dallas or Houston," Hirs said.
Other states get ready
Other states are preparing for the major storm as well. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the state began plans to respond to the storm days ago.
"We're already looking at next weekend," Kemp said. "We'll be prepared, treating roads, having teams ready. Hopefully we'll get snow and not ice."
In a Facebook post, Kemp urged residents to "secure food, fill up on gas, and ensure you're prepared for any potential loss of power."
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein told residents to "prepare, especially for potential power outages." The governor directed residents to the state's emergency information website. He announced a state of emergency on Wednesday.
In Tennessee, Charles Dalton, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Morristown, said a major concern in the state is ice.
"That starts to bring in the possibility of power outages, downed trees, really, really hazardous travel," Dalton said.
He said he expects impacts from the storm to last for several days afterward.
"Travel impacts and maybe some power outages are going to be the big ones, which is problematic because behind the system, really cold air is going to move in," Dalton said. "So whatever follows this weekend is likely going to stick with us for a few days into the early part of next week."
Copyright 2026 NPR
