Big Winter Storm to Hit 160 Million People in the U.S.

A dangerous winter storm is moving across the United States. From Friday until early next week, it will bring heavy snow, ice, and freezing rain.

More than 160 million people are in the path of the storm. Experts warn that roads will be covered in ice and snow, and power lines might break. Richard Bann, a weather expert, says this will be a “major winter storm.”

After the storm passes, extremely cold air from Canada will make it very cold outside.

Here are the 5 main things you need to know:

1. When and Where the Storm Will Hit | winter storm warning

• Friday: The storm starts in the afternoon. It will bring snow to Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas.

• Saturday: The storm moves into Arkansas, Tennessee, and the Midwest. By Saturday night, it will reach Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Northern areas will get snow, while southern areas will get ice and freezing rain.

• Sunday: The storm reaches the East Coast (Mid-Atlantic) in the morning and moves up to New England.

• Monday: The snow will stop in the Northeast as the storm ends.

2. The Biggest Dangers

There are two main worries:

• Heavy Snow: Many places from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast could get more than 1 foot (12 inches) of snow. This will make driving very difficult or impossible.

• Dangerous Ice: South of the snow line (from Texas to Virginia), there will be freezing rain. This creates ice on trees and power lines. This is dangerous because heavy ice can cause widespread power outages.

3. What We Don’t Know Yet

We know a big storm is coming, but the exact path is not 100% certain.

• If the storm moves slightly north or south, the weather could change drastically.

• Weather experts are struggling to predict exactly where the “line” between snow and ice will be. If cold air moves further south, some places expecting rain might get snow instead.

4. How Cold Will It Get?

After the storm, freezing cold air from Canada will spread across the country.

• Dangerous Temperatures: It will be bitterly cold. In North Dakota, the wind chill could feel like minus 50 degrees. It will be dangerous for humans to be outside.

• No Heat: If the storm knocks out electricity, people might be stuck in their homes with no heat during this extreme cold.

• Roads: Because it is so cold, the snow and ice will not melt quickly, keeping roads dangerous for a long time.

5. Is Climate Change Causing This?

This storm is happening because cold air from the Arctic (North Pole) is escaping south and mixing with warm air. This is caused by the “polar vortex” stretching out.

• One View: Some scientists think climate change is making this happen more often. They believe melting sea ice warms the ocean and changes weather patterns, pushing cold air south.

• Another View: Other scientists say we cannot be sure yet. They agree the Earth is warming, but they need more data to prove that climate change is directly causing these specific polar vortex changes.

school closings today