Winter weather expected to wallop about 75 million Americans through Monday
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By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
A massive winter storm system, responsible for dumping several feet of snow on the central United States since Friday, is expected to bring a wintry mix through the Mid-Mississippi Valley into the Southeast and up the Eastern Seaboard through Monday.
At least 74 million people in 33 states across the country’s central and eastern thirds were under winter weather alerts by Saturday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasts currently call for snow and ice as far south as Georgia.
According to the National Weather Service, the highest snowfall totals should fall “along the spine of the Appalachians as well as across the lower Great Lakes as the storm center is forecast to track up the Piedmont sections of the East Coast. The most significant icing is expected over the Piedmont section of the Carolinas on Sunday. Farther north from the Mid-Atlantic up through New England, precipitation is forecast to begin as snow before changing over to ice/sleet and eventually rain with the approach of the storm center.”
Meanwhile, forecasters are focusing particular attention on portions of Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas, where the system could spawn a crippling ice event as early as Sunday, CNN reported.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told CBS News that his city is ready for the expected onslaught of ice and snow, even though the city hasn’t seen significant snowfall in four years.
“This is about public safety, the public interest, and making sure that the business of the city can continue as necessary,” Dickens told the network.
Meanwhile, outgoing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency and urged caution among residents, many of whom are still reeling from the blizzard that left motorists stranded overnight on Interstate 95 earlier this month, CBS News reported.
According to CNN, the storm is forecast to swing to the Southeast late Saturday into Sunday, bringing torrential rains, as well as freezing rain and snow before moving northeast Sunday into Monday.
Widespread power outages loomed late Saturday into Sunday, with Duke Energy, alone, estimating that as many as 750,000 residents across the Carolinas could be plunged into darkness in the coming days.
Meanwhile, parts of Tennessee could get as much as six inches of snow, forecasters said, and northern Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley region of Alabama could receive light snow accumulations, CBS News reported.
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power A winter storm creates dangerous conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 16, 2022. (Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power In this photo provided by the Durham Police Department, a truck hangs from the highway N.C. 147 overpass after its cab apparently slid off the highway during winter weather, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Durham, North Carolina. The cab of the truck appeared to have landed upright on Highway 15-501 below, while the trailer was in a vertical position, from the bridge to the highway below, causing road closures. (Durham Police Department via AP)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power Flight cancellations show on a departure board at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a winter storm moves into the area Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power A tornado ripped through the Iona area of Fort Myers, Fla., destroying homes and causing damage on Sunday Jan, 16, 2022. (Andrew West/The News-Press via AP)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power A winter storm creates dangerous conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 16, 2022. (Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power This image provided by Virginia State Police shows part of a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Roanoke County, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (Virginia State Police via AP)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power A winter storm creates dangerous conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 16, 2022. (Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power Large snowflakes fall and obscure the Downtown Atlanta skyline as a winter storm rolls into the area Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power Residents of the Century 21 Mobile Home Park in the Iona area of Fort Myers, Fla., embrace after confirmed tornado touched down on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. It destroyed and damaged homes in the area. (Andrew West/The News-Press via AP)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power A winter storm creates dangerous conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 16, 2022. (Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Photos: Winter storms wallop South, East Coast, leave thousands without power This image provided by Virginia State Police shows the scene of a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Culpeper County at Alanthus Road near Route 29, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (Virginia State Police via AP)
Winter storm Jonah Hanks, 5, tubes down a slope in Southwest Roanoke City during a winter storm on Sunday Jan. 16, 2022 in Roanoke, Va. (AP Photo/Don Petersen) (Don Petersen/AP)
Winter storm A snowplow clears a main road during a winter storm in Southwest Roanoke City on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Roanoke, Va. (AP Photo/Don Petersen) (DON PETERSEN/AP)
Winter storm A man takes a run through a snowy park, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Winter storm Traffic moves through blowing snow, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Winter storm Bridget Step checks her messages while out to watch the snow fall in Atlanta as a winter storm rolls into the area Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Ben Gray) (Ben Gray/AP)
Winter storm People go for a walk as snow falls Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Nolensville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Winter storm CORRECTS YEAR TO 2022, NOT 2012 - Visitors walk through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial as a winter storm blows through the Washington area, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. Ceremonies scheduled for the site on Monday, to mark the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday have been canceled because of the weather. (AP Photo/J. David Ake) (J. David Ake/AP)
Winter storm A man clears sidewalks for his neighbors during a winter storm with his ATV snowplow in Southwest Roanoke City on Sunday Jan. 16, 2022 in Roanoke, Va. (AP Photo/Don Petersen) (DON PETERSEN/AP)
Winter storm A salt truck spreads brine on the road as a winter storm moves through the area near Durham, N.C., Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) (Gerry Broome/AP)