The United States is bracing for a series of three powerful ice storms expected to impact a large portion of the country through the weekend. Approximately 200 million people across 40 states are potentially affected.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has declared a state of disaster emergency in anticipation of the storms. The initial storm is projected to strike the southern plains, encompassing areas of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, before progressing towards the East Coast.
Meteorologists anticipate significant snowfall from the Plains and Rocky Mountains to the Mid-Atlantic states and southern New England, potentially causing major transportation disruptions. The Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast states are also expected to experience substantial rainfall.
Areas including Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia could accumulate several inches of ice. A second ice storm is forecasted to bring heavy snowfall to northern metropolitan areas starting Wednesday. The third cold wave is expected to initiate in the central states by the weekend, moving eastward and blanketing the East Coast with ice and snow by Sunday.
AccuWeather's Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter noted that February has had a turbulent beginning, with winter storms expected to continue for most of the month. The expert also warned of travel delays at major airports from the Midwest to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.