More than 100 million people across the U.S. received winter weather advisories or warnings Thursday night, as forecasters said another round of Arctic air was expected to move east.
While temperatures will not be as cold as they have been in recent days in much of the United States, the National Weather Service said cold air will continue to push into the Plains and Mississippi Valley on Friday and then into the eastern United States on Saturday.
The agency said that high temperatures in the plains will be 20 to 25 degrees below normal. Meteorologists in the Memphis area, Tennessee, warned of dense frozen fog and stressed the need for people to stay in their homes. Snow and ice have presented challenges for millions getting outside.
- Chicagoans could see up to 4 inches of snow by Friday morning rush hour, and wind chills could reach 5 below zero at noon.
- With freezing fog forecast for the entire Mid-South, the weather service in Memphis warned: “If you do not need to travel, please stay off the roads. Please be safe.”
- Philadelphia is expected to start seeing snow at 5 a.m. Friday, and the city could see accumulations of 4 to 6 inches, forecasters said. Similar amounts were expected for New Jersey.
- The New York City metropolitan area could get 2 to 3 inches starting Friday, but temperatures will be freezing through Monday, the weather service there said. Single-digit wind chills are expected to reach the city.
- Lakeshore snow continued to fall in the Buffalo, New York, area, where Thursday's sets produced snow at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, the weather service there said. Parts of Erie County got 18 inches of snow around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Since Jan. 12, there have been 47 confirmed weather-related deaths across the United States, including hypothermia, car crashes, and deaths while people were removing snow, according to an NBC News tally. Seven others are suspected to be weather-related.
Officials confirmed that at least 16 people died in Tennessee, which witnessed low temperatures and snow.
Since Sunday, more than 9 inches of snow has fallen on Nashville Where public schools remained closed Thursday and will be again Friday.
Orchard Park in New York, where the Buffalo Bills' stadium is located, is expected to get up to 8 inches of snow through Saturday. Before Sunday's playoff game, the team again asked fans to help clear snow at Highmark Stadium.
In Kansas, westbound Interstate 70 in Hays was closed Thursday due to the weather.
“High winds and falling snow create black ice, making driving extremely dangerous, and we are experiencing accidents and slides,” a Kansas Highway Patrol spokesman said. He said on X.
Freezing rain and snow hit the Pacific Northwest. On Thursday night, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotick declared a statewide emergency, noting that Friday would be the sixth day her state's residents would endure winter storms.
She added that thousands were affected, including power outages or transportation problems.
Public schools in Portland, Oregon It will remain closed on Friday The school district said.
Also in Portland, firefighters urged residents to pay special attention to trees and power lines where accumulating snow and ice threaten to topple them, possibly leading to tragedy.
A power line fell on an SUV on Wednesday, killing three people as they got out of the vehicle, Portland firefighters said. A child was saved by a passerby.
“If you go out in the next few days, including to a park or natural area, please be aware of your surroundings, and check around you for any downed power lines or hanging branches,” the city told residents.
