Severe weather in one form or another is on the docket for more than 70 million Americans this weekend, from the West Coast to the East Coast. On Friday, 30 states across the nation had weather advisories, watches, or warnings.
Iowa is under a blizzard warning for Friday and Saturday, with 6-10 inches of snowfall expected along with wind gusts of 40 mph or more, creating dangerous travel conditions.
“Blowing snow is expected to significantly reduce visibility to near-whiteout conditions by midday Friday persisting into early Saturday,” the National Weather Service in Des Moines warned, per CNN. “The cold wind chills as low as 10 to 20 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes and could be potentially life-threatening if stranded outside.”
Strong winds, intense thunderstorms, and heavy snowfall have impacted states in the Great Lakes area and southward, causing power outages to more than 250,000 businesses and households.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecast moderate to heavy snowfall for the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, and Northern Rockies as an Arctic cold front spreads southward over the weekend.
High temperatures in the Northern and Central Plains will only hit the single digits through the weekend, with lows falling well below zero, according to the New York Times. The lows could reach the -20s and -30s and even approach -40 degrees, according to the NWS.
These extremely low temperatures combined with wind chill can cause frostbite on exposed skin in just a few minutes.
Wind chill temperatures in Montana could reach as low as -70 degrees, tying the previous record for the state, CNN reported.
More than 55 million Americans will face temperatures below 0 degrees over the next week, and more than 240 daily cold temperature records could be broken.
The Arkansas-Oklahoma-Texas region and states to the east are facing an enhanced risk of severe weather, including damaging winds, hail, and possible tornadoes, as the cold system moves southeastward and collides with moisture moving northward from the Gulf Coast.
In the Northeast, that same northward-moving Gulf moisture will bring rain to the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England areas, according to the NWS. Falling on already saturated ground, the added 1-2 inches of rainfall could lead to flash-flooding in urban areas and flooding along low-lying coastal areas.
Some 35 million people from North Carolina to Massachusetts are under a flood warning on Friday, CNN reported.
New York City is under a coastal advisory for Saturday, and some parts of Suffolk and Nassau County could have severe coastal flooding, according to the NWS.
“This will result in extensive road closures and flooding of low-lying property including parking lots, parks, lawns and first floors and basements of homes/businesses near the waterfront,” the NWS in New York cautioned. “Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront will likely become flooded and/or submerged. Flooding will likely also extend inland from typical flood-prone areas along the tidal rivers and bays, causing flooding in some areas that typically don’t see flooding.”
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins may be tossing around a frozen pigskin on Saturday, as the weather forecast for the first-round NFL Playoff game in Kansas City predicts a low temperature of -8 degrees and winds of up to 30 mph, creating a windchill of -20 to -27 degrees.