Heavy snowfall puts 70 million people in the United States under winter storm warnings.

BOSTON (AP) — Tens of millions of residents along the East Coast are bracing for several centimeters of snow Sunday followed by dangerously cold temperatures that will grip much of the country, from the northern Plains to the tip of Maine.

Winter storm warnings issued by the National Weather Service have already gone into effect for parts of the Mid-Atlantic through Monday morning, with forecasts projecting up to half a foot (15 centimeters) of snow. Warnings will begin in New England on Sunday afternoon, with parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut receiving up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow.

Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Md., predicts that up to 70 million residents will be under some sort of winter storm warning in the coming days, particularly in New England and the Midwest. -Atlantic. Large cities like Philadelphia, New York and Boston could see several inches of snow this evening, with the highest totals accumulating outside of major cities.

“There will certainly be more hazardous road conditions anywhere from Washington, D.C. up the entire I-95 corridor and then inland later today and tonight,” Chenard said . “Then it’s pretty cold behind that. By Monday morning, any roads that have not been treated or cleared will likely still have hazardous travel conditions.

Snowfall disrupted airline flights along the East Coast. Nearly 130 flights at New York area airports were canceled and nearly 90 more were delayed, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Dozens of flights were also canceled or delayed at airports in Washington, D.C. and Boston.

In New York, Mayor Eric Adams urged city residents to take subways and buses if they must travel during the storm, making it easier for street cleaning crews. He said people who need help with frozen heating or pipes can call 311, and he asked residents to check on their neighbors during the frigid weather.

“Cold temperatures and high winds tomorrow could be dangerous,” Adams told reporters Saturday afternoon. “We need to be there for each other and make sure our pets and other New York neighborhoods are safe.”

The weather service said there was a chance of snow showers Sunday afternoon and evening in Western New York, where the Buffalo Bills host the Baltimore Ravens in a playoff game of the NFL from 6:30 p.m. Heavier, lake-effect snow was expected in this part of the state Monday through Wednesday morning, with 2 to 3 feet (about 60 to 90 centimeters) possible in some areas, including Oswego along the Lake Ontario.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in all 21 counties of the Garden State. A winter storm warning was in effect for 10 northern counties, where 6 to 8 inches of snow was expected to fall from Sunday afternoon until late evening.

Cities and towns have opened warming centers over the coming days to protect people from freezing temperatures.

Return of the Arctic explosion

But the snow is just the start of a chaotic week.

Much of the East Coast will experience some of the coldest temperatures this winter.

An area from the Rocky Mountains to the Northern Plains will experience colder than normal temperatures for several days, with temperatures falling from minus 30 degrees F (minus 34 degrees C) to minus 55 F (minus 48 C) on Sunday and Monday. Wind chills of minus 40 F (minus 40 C) have already been recorded in parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. Subzero wind chills are expected to reach as far south as Oklahoma and the Tennessee Valley.

Minnesota residents were urged to wear appropriate clothing and bring a survival kit when traveling. Kristi Rollwagen, director of homeland security and emergency management at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, also urged motorists to drive with a full tank of gas and a fully charged cell phone to stay in touch with loved ones .

“It’s not something we’ve ever experienced before, it’s just a good reminder that it’s cold in Minnesota,” Rollwagen said.

Cold weather forecast for Monday in Washington led to the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump being moved. inside the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

“It will be cold Monday in Washington, DC. It’s safe,” Chenard said, noting temperatures will be in the 20s with wind gusts topping 30 mph (48 kph).

As happened earlier this month, this last cold snap comes from a disruption of the polar vortex, the ring of cold air usually trapped around the North Pole.

The cold air will moderate as it moves south and east, but the central and eastern United States will still see temperatures in the 15C to 20C range on Monday until Tuesday, Chenard said. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will also see highs in the 20s and 20s, lows in the single digits and below zero degrees F (minus 18 C), and sub-zero wind chills.

Unusual mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain

Colder temperatures will plunge into the South early this week, where up to 30 million people could see a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain starting Monday. The unusual conditions are expected to extend from Texas to northern Florida and the Carolinas. Impacts are expected beginning Monday evening in Texas, then spreading throughout the Gulf Coast and Southeast Tuesday through Wednesday.

Frigid air combined with a low pressure system over the Gulf is causing the storm, which could bring heavy snow just south of the Interstate 20 corridor through northern Louisiana and into Mississippi, as well as a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain near the Interstate 10 corridor from Houston to Mobile, Alabama.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency Saturday ahead of the severe weather, urging residents to prepare and monitor the forecast.

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Julie Walker contributed to this report from New York. She can be reached at https://x.com/jwalkreporter. Dave Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut. Bruce Shipkowski contributed from Toms River, New Jersey.