Midwest, Northeast Brace For Massive Winter Storm Bringing Heavy Snow and Ice

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a new weather forecast of the continuance of the winter storm from Friday until Sunday.

The storm has already caused widespread travel disruption and infrastructural damage over recent days. Due to heavy snowfall and strong winds, multiple areas of the Midwest and Northeast regions have been affected.

Winter Storm to Persist Until the Weekend

The NWS said the, "Ongoing significant winter storm is expected to impact much of the central and northeastern U.S. through Friday night."

The winter storm over the central US is moving northeast, forecasted to cause the formation of ice with a length of more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from west Tennessee to New England, as per the NWS Weather Prediction Center on Twitter.

The forecast said there is a slight chance of torrential rain and thunderstorms over some parts of the Central Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley, and Southeast until Friday morning. The cities of Dallas and Oklahoma could expect one to three inches of snow.

Winter storm or ice storm warnings are also in effect in several dozens of major cities across the US, including in the Central Plains and Midwest regions, according to CNN.

These cities include Austin, St. Louis, Little Rock, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Boston.

During this period, temperatures will range between 10 and 25 degrees below average west of the Great Lakes region and Mississippi River. Temperatures will be more than 25 degrees above average along the East Coast.

The forecast showed the winter storm might bring freezing temperatures and snowfall into the Northern Plains on Saturday and through the Upper Mississippi Valley by Saturday evening. Furthermore, the accumulation of snow by up to two inches per hour is expected until Friday morning, the NWS said.

Storm Causes Delayed and Canceled Flights

The winter storm has caused significant disruption to travel and infrastructure on Thursday. The storm has caused the cancelation of more than 5,000 flights and a delay of over 3,000 flights across the US as of Thursday evening.

A total of more than 250,000 customers experienced power outages in Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, according to Power Outage US.

In Alabama, a tornado struck a rural area on Thursday afternoon, killing one person and injuring three others. The storm has already caused more than 12 inches of accumulated snow in some parts of the Midwest and rare snowfall in Texas.

The winter storm weather phenomenon in the US has been recurring over the past several weeks, including the formation of a Nor'easter or a storm along the US East Coast. The phenomenon has reportedly affected more than 100 million Americans with several reports of casualties.

The US is currently in its winter season which started in December and may last until March. The Northeast is the most affected region of the winter storm, but disruption to travel and infrastructure is also felt in the Midwest and other parts of the country.