Parts of the south are bracing themselves for an onslaught of wet wintry weather that will last for most of the workweek.
Arctic air is forecasted to settle over areas stretching from the Southern Plains up through Tennessee and Kentucky and will be coupled with freezing rain, sleet, and potential snow in some locations.
Travel during the next four days could become dangerous as the potential for tree damage and downed power lines due to heavy ice increases. Roads are also expected to be slicked with ice.
In 2021, an extreme winter storm forced mass electricity outages across the state of Texas impacting nearly 5 million people -– many for longer than three days. Officials estimated that some 246 people died as a result of the blackout. Some disagree with that figure and say it is a stark undercount.
Around 50 million people are under winter weather advisory today.
The slow-moving weather system is expected to make its way to the Northeast by Saturday and plummet temperatures into the single digits for at least part of the day.
Contrary to the South, the Northeast has not seen much wintry weather this season. New York City is on track to set a record for the longest stand without measurable snow, which was set in 2020 with 332 days. The city's count currently sits at 327 since the last measurable snowfall.
