Millions of Americans from New Mexico to North Carolina are preparing for a potentially catastrophic ice storm that could bring down trees and power lines and disrupt power supply for days, and in Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston there could be so much snow that it will make travel very difficult or almost impossible, according to forecasts, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
About 160 million people - almost half the population of the United States - are subject to various watches, warnings and other alerts related to the winter storm, the National Weather Service announced yesterday afternoon. Warnings were issued from Arizona and Montana in the west to North Carolina and South Carolina and Maine in the east.
The storm, which is expected to begin today and continue through the weekend, is forecast to bring heavy snow and all types of winter precipitation, including freezing rain and snow. A river of moisture could form by the weekend, bringing rain to Texas and other Gulf Coast states and continuing through Georgia, North and South Carolina before heading northeast, forecasters said.
"Snow accumulations could reach 12 inches or more in major cities along I-95 from Washington to Boston," said East Coast forecasters, who are increasingly confident the storm will hit those major cities.
In Washington, D.C., "the combination of heavy snow and ice, coupled with prolonged very cold temperatures, poses a unique and significant risk to life and property throughout the region," forecasters warned.