(AP File Photo)

WASHINGTON – A powerful winter storm began hammering the central United States on Saturday, with meteorologists warning that millions in the east of the country would face blizzard conditions, treacherous ice, frigid temperatures and severe travel disruptions.

More than 60 million people are in the path of the dangerous storm, which is set to plunge the eastern half of the United States into a deep freeze of Arctic air through Monday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of ferocious weather, including gale-force winds in states from the central plains to the Mid-Atlantic.

rocket bet168 slot Article continues after this advertisement

Winter storm warnings have been issued from western Kansas clear across to the coastal states of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, an unusually broad 1,500-mile (2,400-kilometer) swath under immediate threat.

FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION MAGA civil war sparks fears of chaotic Trump White House GLOBALNATION Russia lost battalion of N. Korean soldiers in 2 days – Zelensky GLOBALNATION Ukraine to ask allies to boost air defenses at Germany meeting – Zelensky

“Disruptive winter storm to impact the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic through Monday with widespread heavy snow and damaging ice accumulations,” the NWS said in its latest report.

The first major storm of 2025 was already wreaking havoc on travel, with Kansas City International Airport announcing closure of its flight operations Saturday “due to rapid ice accumulation.”

Article continues after this advertisement

Parts of the eastern states of New York and Pennsylvania are facing “heavy lake-effect snow” coming off the Great Lakes that could dump as much as two feet (61 centimeters) there, according to the NWS.

Article continues after this advertisement

Forecast company AccuWeather said Saturday that the lake-effect snow total in the region, already blanketed in snow this week, could top four feet.

Article continues after this advertisement

A blizzard will rage across the Central Plains by early Sunday, and “whiteout conditions will make travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists becoming stranded,” the NWS said.

“A swath of heavy snow exceeding 15 inches (38 cm) from northeastern Kansas into north-central Missouri would be the heaviest snowfall in a decade” there, it added.

Article continues after this advertisement

The US capital Washington could be blanketed in five inches or more of snow, with up to 10 inches possible in nearby areas.

With the jet stream diving southward, temperatures are expected to plunge, in some places to below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius), while strong wind gusts will compound the dangers.

The mercury could sink tens of degrees below seasonal norms down to the US Gulf Coast. Before then, severe thunderstorms are expected across the lower Mississippi Valley, the NWS forecast.

Another major concern is freezing rain and sleet expected from Kansas eastward to Kentucky and Virginia, setting the stage for thick ice to coat roads, making travel hazardous, bringing down trees and electricity lines, and potentially leaving millions of customers without power during a cold snap.

The governors of Missouri and Virginia have declared a state of emergency in their states, and they took to social media to warn residents to expect hazardous weather this weekend.

By the end of the session, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) shed 0.19 percent, or 13.89 points, to 7,388.92.

Conditions could prove especially perilous in the Appalachian Mountains, where a deadly hurricane in late September devastated communities and ravaged multiple southeastern states including Kentucky.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

SIGN ME UP

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

The storm “will likely cause significant disruption and dangerous conditions on our roads and could cause significant power outages just 24 hours or so before it’s going to get really cold in Kentuckymoonrich88,” Governor Andy Beshear told an emergency meeting.

READ NEXT Austria’s chancellor to step down after coalition talks ... Gaza truce talks resume in Qatar as violence shows no let-up EDITORS' PICK EDITORIAL: Curing the 2025 national budget Agri groups warn vs removal of rice labels Heat begin life without suspended Jimmy Butler, who is seeking trade PCG sends ship, 2 aircraft to challenge ‘The Monster’ Don’t test voters’ patience, Comelec chief tells bets  Netizens fume over Manila’s uncollected post-holiday garbage MOST READ PCG sends ship, 2 aircraft to challenge ‘The Monster’ LTO revokes almost  1,000 driver’s licenses BIZ BUZZ: Sobrepeña group not waving white flag More endorsers back 4th impeach rap vs VP Duterte Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments