Politics
12 U.S. Cities Warned To Brace For ‘Catastrophic’ Winter Storm
More than 230 million Americans are bracing for a sprawling winter storm that forecasters warn could dump heavy snow and coat roads with dangerous, potentially catastrophic ice.
At least a dozen states have issued disaster or emergency declarations ahead of the system, which is expected to stretch from New Mexico to Virginia by Saturday. By Sunday, the storm is forecast to push into the Northeast, bringing bitter cold and treacherous travel, according to the National Weather Service.
The looming blast comes just a week after a powerful Arctic storm slammed New England, triggering major pileups on icy highways and snarling travel across the region.
Air travel is already taking a hit. More than 800 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed or canceled Friday ahead of the storm, according to FlightAware.
Forecasters say the storm will arrive Friday and linger through Monday, threatening a 1,500-mile swath of the country with a foot or more of snow and widespread ice. Texas and Oklahoma are expected to be among the first states in the crosshairs, where slick roads could quickly turn deadly, the weather service warned.
As the system tracks east, it is expected to unleash a crippling mix of ice and snow from Oklahoma through Washington, DC, and into the Northeast, with cities including New York and Boston potentially seeing around a foot of snow over the weekend.
The following cities are expected to be hit hardest, according to the Washington Post:
- Oklahoma City
- Dallas–Fort Worth
- Little Rock
- Tupelo, Mississippi
- Nashville
- Cincinnati
- Pittsburgh
- Charlotte
- Richmond
- Washington, DC
- New York
- Boston
