More than 160 million Americans are expected to face an unusually brutal winter storm from Friday, with heavy snows and freezing rains forecast.
The storm is poised to sweep through much of the United States, leaving 'extremely dangerous' conditions behind as it moves eastward from the High Plains and Rockies, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The forecast warns that the Arctic blast will produce sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that pose a life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin.
Transportation officials, including airport authorities in various major cities, have alerted the public to potential weekend travel disruptions, including delays and cancellations.
The winter storm is anticipated to move slowly across the US, blanketing cities like Memphis, Nashville, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York with snow.
Heavy snowfall is predicted through the Southern Rockies and Plains, into the Mid-Atlantic, reaching the Northeast.
According to the NWS, regions that might see over a foot of snow extend from Colorado to West Virginia to Boston. Numerous low-temperature records are anticipated to be eclipsed, with potential wind chills plummeting below -50F (-46C) across the Northern Plains.
A wider swath of the southeastern US is also forecast to experience freezing temperatures as officials mobilize emergency response efforts in states like Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina, where states of emergency have been declared.
Airlines have begun offering passengers the ability to change flights sans extra fees due to the storm's potential impact on travel plans.
Motorists are advised to avoid travel during the peak of the storm, with conditions expected to render travel nearly impossible, as conveyed by NWS meteorologists.
Meanwhile, freezing temperatures are already affecting Canada, where snowfall is expected in the eastern and Atlantic regions this Monday.
