Ice, sleet, snow and then plunging temperatures. While forecasts change frequently, the outlook for the major January storm has stayed fairly consistent for several days, according to Alex Lamers, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. (Caution is still warranted: Tiny changes in the storm’s track can mean some locations receive far less snow, more ice or even no precipitation at all.)
The snow was expected across a giant corridor from the Rockies to Maine, with widespread areas projected to receive nearly a foot.
In the Northeast, forecasts have called for 12 to 18 inches, though totals will vary locally and may be lower along the immediate coast. Mr. Lamers noted the potential for a “slowly pivoting snow band” to set up over the region; on the high end, localized areas could see two feet or more.
From Oklahoma into Ohio, a large area could receive snow in excess of 12 inches — an amount that Mr. Lamers said would be rare for a single storm in those regions.
The ice forecast has been similarly widespread. While as little as a quarter-inch of ice can be hazardous, a full inch can thwart travel by car or even on foot.
“Freezing rain is the most dangerous precipitation type,” said Caitlin Dirks, a meteorologist in Memphis. “It sticks to things, accumulates on top of itself and adds thousands of pounds of weight to anything it hits.”
The ice was expected to adhere to power lines and tree branches, potentially snapping them. Power outages were expected, especially across the iciest zones.
Many forecasters worried that the Arctic air descending across the country could keep that ice in place for days, complicating recovery efforts.
Subzero lows have been forecast from the Northern Plains through the Northeast. This bitterly cold air was expected to reach as far south as the Gulf Coast, and forecasters were warning that long-standing temperature records could be broken.
