A serious winter storm is on the horizon, threatening to unleash heavy snowfall, ice, and sleet from the Southern states to the Mid-Atlantic region this week, potentially causing power outages and hazardous road conditions.

Following a severe storm that recently impacted the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, a new system is set to emerge from Mexico, traveling across the Gulf Coast late Thursday, reaching western Florida by Friday evening, and affecting the southern Mid-Atlantic coast by Saturday.

The new storm is anticipated to bring between 6 to 8 inches of snow from southeast Oklahoma to western North Carolina, cautioned the National Weather Service on Thursday. Ice and freezing rain are expected to affect the southern Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley on their way toward parts of the Southeast, Southern Appalachians, and the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday.

The Tennessee Valley might experience some of the most significant snowfall, with predictions of 6 inches on Friday. A vast area of the country is currently under winter weather warnings, leading to possible “wide-ranging closures, dangerous travel conditions, scattered power outages, and fallen tree branches,” according to the forecast.

“Roads, especially overpasses and bridges, are likely to become treacherous,” warned the Shreveport, Louisiana weather service. “Strong winds combined with the weight of the snow on tree branches could lead to downed power lines and sporadic outages. Conditions may make travel nearly impossible.”

On Thursday, numerous winter storm warnings were issued for northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and southeastern Missouri, expiring on Friday. Warnings will persist in Tennessee, northern Alabama, and parts of south-central Indiana and Kentucky through Saturday.

“In areas that seldom experience snow or ice, like Austin, Dallas, Little Rock, and Nashville, this storm will be quite significant,” stated AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines to YSL News earlier this week, highlighting that cities like Dallas could record one of their heaviest snowfalls in years.

Power outages affecting thousands in the storm’s path

Many customers in areas affected by the storm are currently without electricity, as reported by YSL News’s power outage tracker.

More than 5,600 homes and businesses in southern Indiana, along with 3,100 in Kentucky, were without power mid-morning on Thursday. Nearly 6,000 people also faced outages in eastern Missouri.

The National Weather Service in Atlanta cautioned that a majority of north Georgia is under a winter storm watch and should prepare for difficult travel and potential power outages.

Texas braces for winter conditions

A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain has already begun to fall as the storm, named Winter Storm Cora, makes landfall in western Texas, according to The Weather Channel.

Expected snowfall and sleet accumulations in parts of Texas are between 2 to 5 inches, with localized areas potentially receiving up to 10 inches, reported the Fort Worth weather service. For Dallas, where the average annual snowfall stands at 1.6 inches, receiving half a foot of snow would rank among the “top-five snowfalls in recorded history,” according to AccuWeather.

Numerous schools across north and central Texas are closed or will be opening late in anticipation of the storm. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Wednesday that he had mobilized over a dozen state agencies to prepare for the harsh weather, focusing resources on northern and western Texas.

Power outages and insufficient snow removal equipment have been a concern for Texans during winter storms, particularly following the 2021 crisis when nearly 70% of the state lost power, and icy conditions rendered many roads dangerous and impassable for days during the Arctic storm.

According to Electric Reliability Council of Texas Chief Pablo Vegas, the power grid, which narrowly avoided total failure during the 2021 storm, is expected to have a “more than adequate supply” of energy for keeping homes warm and powered throughout this winter weather event. Roads with potential “hot spots” have been pretreated.

The state has been applying brine since Tuesday and has committed to increasing the number of snowplows, deploying them in a “strategic” manner, according to Brian Barth, the deputy executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation.