A powerful winter storm is bringing heavy snow, treacherous ice, and dangerously cold temperatures to the Mid-Atlantic region, marking the final act in a series of winter storms that have battered the United States for the past three weeks.
“Travel is going to be a mess along the Interstate 95 corridor through Virginia and North Carolina,” warned AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin. “Heavy snow could shut down roads. Ice accumulating on tree limbs and utility lines could knock out power.”
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The storm is predicted to dump 6-12 inches of snow in parts of eastern Virginia, northeastern North Carolina, and the Delmarva Peninsula through Thursday. Major cities like Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia, could see significant accumulations, and even beaches along the coast are expected to be blanketed in snow.
“Conditions are miserable in Kentucky,” added AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno. “Families are dealing with several inches of snow and bitter cold in areas that were hit hard by deadly flash flooding over the weekend.”
The southern side of the storm will bring freezing rain and ice to parts of the Carolinas, creating hazardous travel conditions and the potential for power outages.
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In the wake of the storm, a mass of Arctic air will send temperatures plummeting across the central and eastern U.S. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are forecast to drop to 0-10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower in 40 states by Thursday morning.
“This deep freeze is bringing record-challenging cold to parts of the Midwest,” DePodwin said. “AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures of 0-10 degrees will surge as far south as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia on Thursday morning.”
The extreme cold increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, and could also lead to frozen pipes and increased demand for heating.
The good news is that this storm marks the end of the “February Frenzy” of winter weather. A quieter weather pattern is expected to return to much of the U.S. this weekend into next week.
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