Arlington, VA. – More than 60 million Americans found themselves under winter weather and storm advisories on Sunday as a broad region spanning the Midwest and East, already grappling with bitter cold temperatures, prepared for a potentially historic storm following more than 2 feet of snow that had already blanketed some areas since Friday.
By Sunday morning, Erie, Pennsylvania had been buried under over 17 inches of snow, with Rome, New York also enduring almost 2 feet of snowfall, as reported by AccuWeather. Certain parts of Upstate New York reported snow accumulations exceeding 30 inches over the past few days.
In anticipation of the weather system, governors in Kentucky and Virginia declared states of emergency. The National Weather Service issued warnings indicating that certain areas could witness the most substantial storm in over a decade. Many school systems, initially planning to resume classes on Monday after a two-week winter holiday break, were forced to postpone re-openings for a day or more.
“The storm is still in the process of developing,” stated Rich Bann, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. “However, this event presents multiple hazards, ranging from heavy snowfall in the Plains to significant icing on roads further south.”
In Arlington and the Washington, D.C. region, where snowfall is often scarce in some winters, the storm was projected to make landfall on Sunday night. The Weather Service cautioned of total snow and sleet accumulations ranging from 5 to 9 inches. Forecasters stated that isolated areas could receive between 10 to 12 inches if heavy banding formations materialize in the region, with indications pointing towards the potential for a second round of heavy snow late on Monday prior to the cessation of precipitation, as per the local winter weather message.
The storm, stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast, was set to impact a vast expanse of the nation spanning from Nebraska and Kansas through Ohio, Indiana, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northwestern Virginia, with predicted snowfall amounts ranging from 1 inch to a foot, as per the Weather Service. Officials cautioned that ice could lead to power outages by bringing down power lines, with freezing rain and ice expected to affect southern Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee on Sunday, potentially rendering roads hazardous and causing disruptions to power supplies.
“It will likely be extremely challenging to navigate certain areas,” remarked Bann.
Contributing: Reuters
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Winter weather live updates: Massive storm brings snow, ice, cold
