See the impact of winter storm warnings and the polar vortex in the United States

A polar vortex is expected to sweep across most of the continental United States, causing dangerous frost for millions of Americans from the Deep South to the Northeast on Saturday and into next week.

The Arctic blast is bringing dangerously low temperatures and cold winds to parts of the Midwest up to the East Coast, according to the National Weather Service. After descending over the Rockies and Great Plains, forecasters said Arctic air would dip over the Deep South and Great Lakes by Saturday evening before spreading over the Mid-Atlantic and the East Coast by Sunday.

Subzero to subzero temperatures are forecast for the Northern Plains and upper Midwest, the weather service reported. Temperatures between 15 and 20°C will spread to the Central Plains and Midwest.

Hypothermia and frostbite both pose life-threatening risks as subzero temperatures pierce the Gulf Coast and wind chills of 30 to 55 degrees below zero batter the Rockies, Northern Plains and Upper Midwest from Sunday, warned the service.

Snow will threaten much of the Appalachian Mountains, the upper Ohio Valley and the Northeast at least through Sunday, according to weather service forecasts. The heaviest snow is expected north and west of the I-95 corridor into West Virginia and eastern Maine, with up to 8 inches expected.

Before leaving the United States to reach the Maritimes region of Canada on Monday, the storm cyclone is expected to trigger a lake effect of snow from the upper Great Lakes. The weather service also reported rain showers and thunderstorms across northern Florida into southern Georgia overnight Saturday.

The freezing weather also led to the decision to hold Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration indoors in Washington DC.

Near-average temperatures are expected west of the Rockies, including between 30 and 40 degrees for the Interior West and Pacific Northwest, between 50 and 60 degrees in California, and between 60 and 70 degrees in the southwest of the desert.

Where will it snow in the United States?Find out where the polar vortex is about to have a freezing impact

Winter storm warnings issued

Winter storm warnings were issued in New York from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening, according to an article on X from the National Weather Service New York.

Other Northeast states have winter storm warnings in effect Saturday, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to the weather service.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that a state of emergency would go into effect at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. local time amid intense cold.

“We are expecting a winter storm bringing heavy snow, followed by dangerously low temperatures Monday through Wednesday,” Murphy wrote on X.

Here are other areas expected to be affected by winter conditions.

CC

Massachusetts

Chicago, IL

Indianapolis

Atlanta, Georgia

National weather map

National Weather Radar

Anthony Robledo is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him at arobledo@usatoday.com and follow him on X @anthonyarobledo.