A major winter storm late this week is forecast to hit a broad swath of the central and eastern United States, starting in the southern Rockies and southern Plains, then spreading east into the Midā€‘South, Southeast, and up the East Coast.

Main impact areas

  • Southern Rockies & Plains
    Snow, sleet, and freezing rain are expected to develop Friday from New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and into parts of Arkansas and northern Louisiana.

Major cities at risk early in the storm include areas around Dallasā€“Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Little Rock.

  • Midā€‘South, Tennessee Valley & lower Mississippi Valley
    Through Friday night and Saturday, the stormā€™s wintry mix expands across the midā€‘Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, including parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

These areas may see several inches of snow north of the ice band, with dangerous travel where sleet and freezing rain dominate.

  • Southeast & Carolinas
    From Saturday into Sunday, freezing rain and sleet are likely from northern and eastern Texas across the Deep South toward northern Georgia and the Carolinas, where significant icing is a key concern.

Forecasters warn that ice accretion on trees and power lines in parts of the South and Carolinas could cause outages and make some roads nearly impassable.

  • Midā€‘Atlantic & Northeast
    As the storm pushes east, heavy snow is expected to extend from the Appalachians and midā€‘Atlantic up toward parts of the Northeast late in the weekend into Monday, though exact snow and ice totals remain uncertain.

Several inches of snow are possible north of the main ice zone, with travel disruptions likely on major corridors from the midā€‘Atlantic into New England.

Timing snapshot

  • Friday: Storm intensifies over the southern Rockies and southern Plains (NM, TX, OK, southern KS, AR, north LA).
  • Saturday: Wintry mix spreads across the midā€‘South, Tennessee Valley, and parts of the Southeast.
  • Sunday into Monday: Impacts reach the East Coast, Midā€‘Atlantic, and portions of the Northeast.

Why forecasters are worried

  • A strong Arctic air mass is plunging into the central and eastern U.S., keeping temperatures cold enough that snow and ice will be slow to melt.
  • The snow/ice band may stretch over 1,000 miles, increasing the odds of widespread road closures, flight delays, and some power outages where ice accumulates.

What you should do

  • Check your local National Weather Service office or trusted local meteorologists for pinpoint forecasts, since exact snow and ice amounts can shift as the storm evolves.
  • If you live anywhere from New Mexico and Texas through the midā€‘South, Southeast, Carolinas, midā€‘Atlantic, or up into the Northeast, plan now for hazardous travel and possible power disruptions this weekend.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.