Where to expect snow and ice in the days ahead as a massive storm system hits East Coast

By Jason Hanna, Hannah Gard and Alanne Orjoux, CNN

A massive storm system dumping snow on the central US is expected to wallop much of the country’s eastern third with snow and freezing rain this weekend, and could cause a crippling ice event in parts of Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas by Sunday.

Nearly 74 million people in parts of the country’s central and eastern thirds were under winter weather alerts Saturday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy snow already has fallen in the Upper Midwest, and more was being dumped Saturday morning in Missouri, where snow was covering some major highways, transportation officials said.

“Troopers continue working crashes as a result of driving TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol wrote on Twitter. “Roadways are still slick and snow covered in certain areas. Slow down and avoid travel if possible.”

The storm will swing Saturday night and Sunday to the Southeast with rain, freezing rain and snow before heading to the Northeast Sunday into Monday.

And it’s the freezing rain and ice in parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic that may cause the biggest trouble by Sunday, including power outages.

“This is by far going to be the biggest issue we encounter over the next 48 hours — ice, and a lot of it,” CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar said Saturday morning.

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Parts of north Georgia and Virginia could get up to a half-inch of ice, and parts of North and South Carolina could see three-quarters of an inch of ice or more, forecasters said.

High winds, coupled with “the weight of that ice on trees and power lines, (are) likely to cause widespread power outages,” Chinchar said

The governors of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia declared emergencies, allowing resources to be positioned ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Parts of northern and central Georgia could also see powerful winds Sunday, the National Weather Service in Atlanta said.

“With strong winds and the potential for winter weather, we are highly concerned about downed trees and powerlines knocking out power through Sunday, so prepare now!” the service wrote on Twitter Saturday evening.

Snow also is expected to impact a number of southern cities by Sunday, making for dangerous travel in places like Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta and Charlotte.

More than a foot of snow could fall Sunday into Monday from the southern Appalachians into the interior Northeast.

Heavy snow — including between 8-14 inches in some areas — fell Friday into Saturday morning in parts of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa.

From there, the system dove into Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas, where it was delivering rain and snow Saturday. Heavy bands of snowfall are expected in the Mid-South and Tennessee Valley throughout the day.

Light snowfall began in eastern Oklahoma, including Tulsa, on Saturday evening, and throughout much of central Arkansas.

“Heavy snow has fallen across parts of northern Arkansas already with more to come,” National Weather Service Little Rock said on Twitter. “Accumulating snow is expected through tonight across a good part of the state as this dynamic storm system passes through.”

Localized areas of Tennessee could see snow exceeding 6 inches Saturday into Sunday.

Southeast may get a mix of everything

For much of the Southeast, the system will begin in the form of rain on Saturday.

As the temperatures rapidly drop behind a strong cold front, rain will change into freezing rain, sleet and eventually snow for many locations across the Southern Appalachians by Saturday evening.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp ordered the state Department of Defense to prepare 1,000 National Guard troops to assist in the response to the storm.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster urged residents to monitor local weather forecasts and take precautions.

The system is expected to move slowly, setting up a crippling ice storm that could knock out power to millions from northeast Georgia to southern Virginia Saturday night through early Monday morning.

Significant icing in the Piedmont of the Carolinas will likely lead to dangerous travel conditions, power outages and widespread tree damage, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

Cities including Charlotte, Greenville, Winston-Salem and Greensboro are forecast to see ice accumulations of a quarter to a half an inch through Sunday night, alongside wind gusts of up to 40 mph that could take down trees and power lines in the region.

The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for portions of South Carolina, in effect through early Monday, with temperatures likely to remain sub-freezing until the start of next week.

“Significant amounts of ice accumulations will make travel dangerous or impossible. Travel is strongly discouraged,” according to the NWS office in Greenville.

The NWS is warning that ice accumulations will become very dangerous along and east of I-85 including Spartanburg, South Carolina, all the way up to Salisbury, North Carolina. This includes the entire metro Charlotte area.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains, the snow totals will go up as quickly as the elevation does. Asheville, North Carolina, for example, is forecast to pick up 8-12 inches, but could reach 20 inches at elevations above 4,000 feet.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

The storm will turn northeastward to the East Coast on Sunday and Monday.

Some snow will fall in major metro areas, but a change to rain will hold down the accumulations. Washington could get 2-4 inches, while Philadelphia could get 1-2 inches. New York and Boston are expected to get about an inch each.

Heavier snow is expected elsewhere, with more than a foot expected in some locations.

“As is common with this storm track, the Shenandoah Valley back toward the Alleghenies will be the likely winners in terms of highest snowfall totals,” NWS Baltimore said Saturday. “7 to 10 inches is possible, but over a foot is not out of the question where heavier bands form.”

Snowfall intensity in the region may be heavy enough to evade significant icing, but NWS Baltimore warns that untreated surfaces may still lead to dangerous travel conditions where ice accumulates.

The majority of accumulating snowfall will occur Sunday afternoon through Monday morning.

Interior cities such as Charleston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Syracuse and Burlington, Vermont, will see the heaviest snow.

Prior to the snow event moving into the region, the Northeast will experience cold temperatures and dangerous wind chill.

Wind chill alerts are in effect for nearly 20 million people Saturday, as feels-like temperatures could drop as low as 40 to 45 below zero in parts of the Northeast.

“The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” the NWS warned.

Alongside the snowfall potential, strong winds from the east associated with the storm system could cause major coastal flooding of up to 3 feet above ground in some areas along the Northeast coast during high tide.

The timing of winds shifting from the east to the south will largely determine the severity of flooding, with moderate flooding potential if winds shift prior to high tide.

“Widespread moderate to locally major flooding of vulnerable areas is possible near the waterfront and shoreline, including roads, parking lots, parks, lawns, and homes and businesses with basements near the waterfront,” the NWS in New York said Saturday.

Inundation could cause road closures and structural damage along the Atlantic coastline.

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CNN meteorologists Allison Chinchar, Chad Myers, Dave Hennen, Monica Garrett, and Haley Brink contributed to this story