CNN
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Winter storms will hit both coasts before another brutal wave of cold air engulfs the central and eastern United States by the end of the week.
At least 55 people in 10 states have died since last week after the coldest air of the winter and multiple storms brought snow and ice to much of the United States.
Oregon has been hit particularly hard. Back-to-back ice storms have downed trees and power lines in the state since Saturday — and now a third storm is impacting the area.
At least 10 people have died in the Portland, Oregon, area since Friday due to storms and hail.
Three people died in Portland on Wednesday after a tree branch that fell on a live power line landed on their car. Portland fire officials said a live wire killed them after they got out of their SUV.
“When the individuals' feet touched the ground, and their bodies touched the vehicle, they became part of the energized electrical circuit resulting in their death,” Portland Fire said.
Jenny Kane/AP
A tree crashed into a home in Lake Oswego, Oregon, after a storm moved through the area on January 16.
A good Samaritan rescued a healthy child from the street. Portland Fire said Samaritan “grabbed the child from an adult lying in the street for the child's safety.”
The ice storm responsible left the Northwest late Wednesday, with the next storm approaching in its wake Thursday morning. Freezing rain spread again to lower elevations in Washington and Oregon on Thursday, with heavy snow falling in parts of the Cascades.
Ice will continue to accumulate across the hard-hit Northwest as freezing rain falls on the region through Friday. Additional snow can weigh down tree limbs, making them more vulnerable to snapping and damaging power lines.
More than 45,000 homes and businesses were without power in Washington and Oregon on Thursday due to previous storms.
Another round of snow will spread over parts of the Midwest and East on Friday as two patches of atmospheric energy collide — one of which could be traced to Wednesday's deadly ice storm in the Northwest.
Snow will begin falling early Thursday night in Chicago, and by Friday morning, snow accumulation will extend into the interior of the northeastern and central Appalachians.
Another round of filthy wintry mix targeted the Mississippi Valley Thursday morning. Freezing rain made travel treacherous in parts of Arkansas and Mississippi, according to National Weather Service reports. Additional freezing rain, mixed with a little snow late Thursday, will make for slick and dangerous travel through parts of the Tennessee Valley.
Cities in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast that just ended long-term snow droughts due to a storm at the beginning of the week, including Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia, will see light to moderate snow again.
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1 to 3 inches of snow is likely from the Midwest to the East. But parts of Appalachia and some areas near the coast could see totals approaching half a foot by the time the snow ends Friday night.
Philadelphia could receive between 4 and 6 inches of snow on Friday. Six inches of snow in one day has not fallen on the city in more than three years.
It won't be a massive blizzard, but the combination of snow and high winds could make for a rough ride. Additional cancellations and delays are also possible, especially after schools and government offices are closed due to a similar-impact storm earlier in the week.
A slight respite from the cold weather on Wednesday in the central United States and on Thursday in the south and east It will be short-lived. Another batch of abnormal cold will arrive across the north-central US later Thursday and will push across the central and eastern US Friday afternoon.
While this round of cold is less intense than the one earlier in the week, high temperatures will struggle to reach the freezing mark in Oklahoma City, Nashville, Philadelphia and New York City on Friday. Chicago won't be able to break out of the teens and Minneapolis will be stuck in the single digits on Friday as the bitter cold settles in.
Wind chills across the central United States are expected to return to dangerous levels by Friday, increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.
CNN's Nouran Salahia, Joe Sutton, Aya Al-Amrousi, Andy Rose, Sarah Dewberry, Raja Razek and Jennifer Henderson contributed to this report.
