CNN
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Most of the United States faces extreme winter weather this week as arctic air blows south from Canada, snow moves up the northeast coast and a potentially crippling winter storm aims south.
Travelers face delays Sunday and cold weather looms across much of the country, with more than 75% of the United States expected to face freezing temperatures this week.
More than 70 million people are under winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings Sunday, from Tennessee to Maine. That means snow for many Northeast cities, as a low pressure system will bring a quick blast of snow to the I-95 corridor from Virginia to Maine Sunday into Monday morning.
Washington, D.C., is expected to see 1 to 3 inches of snow, with up to 6 inches expected in New York and Boston. Hartford, Connecticut, could see 5 to 7 inches of snow and Portland, Maine, could get up to 8 inches.
A cold weather emergency has been activated in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a Sunday article on X. The mayor warned of “dangerously low” temperatures overnight. The frosty forecast led to the announcement that President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration will take place indoors on Monday, the first indoor presidential inauguration since Ronald Reagan in 1985.
At least 1,100 flights to or from the United States were canceled Sunday evening and another 3,629 were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. More than 20% of flights to or from Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport have been canceled, the site says.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency due to the storm.
“As always, I urge all New Jersey residents to exercise caution, follow all safety protocols and stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” Murphy said on Saturday X.
Meanwhile, the South is bracing for a rare winter storm whose forecast is still uncertain. Louisiana declared a state of emergency and Texas ordered state agencies to mobilize resources due to the threat of snow.
Arctic air is spreading across much of the United States this week, and in some states the extreme cold could last for several days. Nearly 150 million people are under cold weather alerts, with forecasters warning of possible frozen pipes, frostbite and travel delays.
More than two dozen record lows are possible this week, including in Cleveland, Kansas City and Houston, as temperatures will drop 20 to 30 degrees below normal.
Denver is expected to have a high temperature of just 9 degrees on Monday, which is 36 degrees cooler than their normal temperature of 45.
Southern cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis and Birmingham may not even reach temperatures above freezing Monday and Tuesday.
“A prolonged period of freezing temperatures could cause water pipes to burst,” warned the National Weather Service in Atlanta.
Wind is also an important factor in cold weather. Wind speeds of 15 to 25 mph, along with already very cold temperatures, will result in wind chills of minus 25 to 50 below zero at times Sunday through Tuesday across the Midwest and Northern Plains. These conditions could cause frostbite on exposed skin in less than 10 minutes.
More than 30 million people from Texas to Georgia are under monitoring in anticipation of a rare winter storm hitting the Gulf Coast and Southeast this week.
Impacts from the major storm will begin in Texas on Monday, the Weather Prediction Center said, adding that significant traffic and travel disruptions are likely through midweek.
A wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected near and south of the Interstate 20 corridor, with snow or sleet potentially heavy in some areas. Sleet and freezing rain could extend as far south as the Interstate 10 corridor.
The latest forecasts show the potential for at least 3 inches of snow in Baton Rouge and Lake Charles, Louisiana; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Macon, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama and Houston, Texas.
Ice accumulations could also lead to power outages and downed trees.