Winter storm warnings were in place for 26 states across the U.S. from the National Weather Service (NWS) early Friday, with up to 14 inches of snow forecast for some parts of the country.
Why It Matters
Snow can cause travel disruptions and create hazardous driving conditions.
Vulnerable populations, including infants and senior citizens, are at heightened risk of health issues due to the dangers of freezing temperatures.
What To Know
As Friday morning, the states under winter storm warnings included Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, and Montana.
Additionally, there were winter weather advisories in place in states including Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
While snowfall levels varied state to state, in the Bears Paw, Highwood, Little Belt, and Snowy Mountains areas of Montana, the NWS said between 7 and 14 inches of snow accumulation was possible.
The NWS says that a winter storm warning means "there is at least an 80 percent chance of impactful winter weather conditions during the warning period."
The service added that winter weather could adversely affect road conditions and commutes. In some instances, it advised delaying travel.
The entirety of Tennessee was under winter storm warning at the time of writing, as was Arkansas and almost all of Kentucky.
Northern Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina were also under winter storm warnings.
Winter weather advisories affected the majority of West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.
Most of Texas was under either winter storm warning or winter weather advisory, apart from in the south. The southern region of New Mexico was under winter weather advisory, as was the southwestern portion of Pennsylvania.
What People Are Saying
Meteorologist Chris Smith wrote on X, formerly Twitter, yesterday: "Winter weather across the deep the south tonight and into Friday. Heavy snow is coming down tonight from Oklahoma into Arkansas."
Meteorologist Stephen McCloud wrote on X on January 9: "Winter storm warnings now posted for all of Middle Tennessee. 3-5" of snow (with higher amounts) likely and possibly some freezing rain."
AccuWeather Meteorologist Heather Zehr told Newsweek on Wednesday: "We expect three to six inches of snow and sleet to accumulate in Dallas, TX while Little Rock, AR can expect three to six inches of just snow. Nashville, TN is looking at two to four inches of snow"
What Happens Next
While durations varied from state to state, at the time this article was written, the latest winter storm warnings were in place until 5 p.m. on Saturday.
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