A sprawling winter storm is organizing over the central United States and is poised to spread a dangerous mix of snow and ice into the South this weekend. Forecasters warn that a corridor from the southern Plains into the Southeast could see significant freezing rain, with the potential for power outages, tree damage, and days of treacherous travel. The exact track is still uncertain, but the ingredients are already in place for a high‑impact event that will test a region more accustomed to thunderstorms than crippling ice.
Early guidance suggests this system will not be a quick hitter but a slow moving, moisture rich storm that taps Gulf warmth over a shallow dome of Arctic air. That classic setup raises the odds that some communities will spend the weekend trapped under a glaze of ice rather than enjoying a picturesque snowfall, and it is why meteorologists are sounding the alarm now rather than waiting for the first sleet pellets to fall.
Storm setup: classic ingredients for Southern ice
At the heart of the concern is a textbook clash between Canadian high pressure and Gulf moisture that favors freezing rain instead of snow. Meteorologists describe a shallow layer of subfreezing air at the surface with warmer air aloft, a configuration that allows liquid rain to fall into below‑freezing air and freeze on contact, building a slick coating on every exposed surface. One detailed outlook notes that this pattern over the central Lower 48 creates a “classic ice storm recipe,” with a solid chance that some locations see more than a half inch of ice buildup, enough to snap branches, pull down wires, and leave roadways impassible for days, a scenario highlighted by Matthew Cappucci.
Large scale models show this storm drawing energy from the Plains and then feeding on deep moisture as it pushes toward the East Coast. One national forecast discussion says it is “likely to unleash dangerous ice and snow from the Plains to the East Coast,” with wintry conditions developing in the Plains on Friday before spreading eastward, a threat outlined in detail by Chris Dolce. Another analysis stresses that a potential major winter storm is set to impact the South with a wide swath of snow and ice, bringing the threat of widespread power outages and dangerous travel from the lower Mississippi Valley into the Southeast and mid‑Atlantic.
Who is in the crosshairs from Texas to the Carolinas
Geographically, the zone of greatest concern stretches from Texas through the Deep South and into the Carolinas. One regional forecast flags accumulating snow and ice as likely in portions of Accumulating zones that include Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and the Carolinas over the next several days. Another national outlook warns that more than 150 m people in the southern and eastern United States could feel the effects of this storm, with heavy snow and significant icing from the Plains to the Mississippi Valley and beyond.
Within that broad swath, forecasters are particularly worried about a narrow but intense corridor of ice along major travel arteries. One detailed briefing notes that “One of the greatest concerns is significant icing along Interstates 20 and 40 from Dallas to Atlanta and into the Carolinas,” and that the swath of heaviest icing “looks pretty likely.” Another video outlook frames it as a “Potential late‑week winter storm threat” that looms from Texas to the Carolinas, emphasizing that the exact placement of the ice band will determine which communities face the worst of the power and travel disruptions, a point underscored in the Potential coverage.
City by city: Southern hubs on alert
Major Southern metros that rarely see prolonged ice are now squarely in the discussion. Forecasts highlight that ATLANTA sits near the core of the storm’s expected track, with the “ingredients aligning” for the first major winter storm of the year to bring a mix of rain, snow, and ice to the region. Farther east, a local meteorologist issued a WEATHER IMPACT ALERT, warning in a Weekend Winter Storm Update that while snow lovers around Charlotte may be hoping for a winter wonderland, the more likely outcome is a messy mix with potentially hazardous ice.
To the west, forecasters are watching how the cold air settles across Oklahoma and north Texas, where the storm is expected to first organize before sliding east. One regional station along the Gulf Coast cautions that a major winter storm could bring “an icy mess” to Louisiana, noting that while it remains too early to pin down exact totals across Acadiana, residents should prepare for rain changing to freezing rain Saturday night into Sunday, with the areas most at risk potentially seeing significant ice by the end of Sunday and major delays in travel and daily routines.
How bad could it get? Power, travel and “potentially catastrophic” risk
The language from some forecasters is unusually stark for a system still several days away. One regional newsroom reports that forecasters warn of a “potentially catastrophic” storm from Texas to the Carolinas, noting that earlier coverage included drivers describing “whiteout” conditions from a snowstorm ahead of a major crash, a reminder of how quickly conditions can deteriorate, as detailed in the Close PREVIOUS COVERAGE. Another analysis explains that an atmospheric river of moisture could set up across the southern United States by the weekend, pulling Gulf humidity over surface temperatures near 35 degrees (1.7 Celsius), a combination that favors prolonged freezing rain rather than a quick changeover to snow, a scenario described in detail in the An atmospheric river briefing.
National outlooks echo that concern, with one describing “Current weather patterns” as suggesting a classic setup for a disruptive ice storm, and warning that the biggest threat for ice into this weekend will stretch from parts of the lower Mississippi Valley into Tennessee through the Carolinas, a risk framed in the Current discussion. Another regional meteorologist in the eastern WINTER STORM UPDATE at 12:45 PM on a recent TUESDAY described an “epic winter storm” as very likely to impact much of the South, stressing that a surge of moisture over entrenched cold air could produce crippling ice in parts of the region.
Uncertainty, past lessons and what residents should do now
For all the strong wording, forecasters are still careful to emphasize what they do not yet know. One national outlook notes that “Exactly where this storm sets up and tracks will determine where the snow and ice will be,” and that Residents from Exactly Colorado and Wyoming to the mid‑Atlantic should stay tuned as details of the storm unfold. A separate local forecast for the Northeast underscores that uncertainty, noting that There is a potential for a snowstorm to hit the PHILADELPHIA region the weekend of January 24 and 25, but that the Digital Staff at WPVI stress how much depends on the exact track and how quickly any snowpack can melt afterward.
In the South, the advice is to prepare for the worst while hoping the narrow ice band sets up elsewhere. One social media forecast that has drawn wide attention notes that a significant ice storm appears increasingly probable SOMEWHERE across the South between Friday, January 23 and Sunday, January 25, and urges people in the highlighted “pink zone” to be aware of the potential for serious icing and to begin procuring nonperishables now, guidance laid out by SOMEWHERE. Another regional meteorologist in Alabama warns that accumulating snow and ice is likely in portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and neighboring states over the next several days, and that while somebody is going to get missed by back‑to‑back storms, others could be hit twice, a point made in the Texas and Gulf Coast outlook.
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