Call Me Stormy

Widespread Winter Warnings

Even more of the United States is now coming under extreme winter weather warnings. The warnings stretch more than 2000 miles, from Santa Fe in the Rockies all the way east and north to Boston along the Atlantic coastal shores.

Heaviest snowfall totals are projected for the Mid Atlantic states as well as the Midwest states lining the Ohio River — Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois onto Missouri.  Heavy snow will fall between I-40 and I-70, with the Midwest states likely receiving at least a foot of snow. Snowfall totals will increase as the storm — dubbed Winter Storm Fern — approaches the Atlantic Ocean, entering Pennsylvania, New York and New England. The snow could pile up as much as two feet in some locales.

The South won’t get whacked by snow, but faces potentially deadly ice storms that could bring down grown trees and powerlines, while sending citizens shivering in homes reeling without energy. The ice will stretch eastward from Texas and Oklahoma, encompassing much of Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia, including the city of Atlanta. Snow already began falling Friday night in the Texas Panhandle, with expectations for ice to slam into Dallas and Tulsa.

Brutal cold weather will aggravate conditions as winds from Canada push chilling temperatures southward. The storm will linger through Sunday, although cold weather will remain entrenched over much of this vast region on Monday and Tuesday. So travel isn’t advised. Best to hunker down at home, and be sure to have supplies of food, water, batteries and life-saving gear.

Here’s a short,  but comprehensive report from CBS News.  Best to check your local stations for up-to-the-minute news and forecasts for your vicinity.

When It Snows in Texas. Here’s an iconic look at a Panhandle panic from the cartoon King of the Hill. The town of Arlen doesn’t exist, but it’s based on King of the Hill creator Mike Judge’s memories of growing up in Texas, and specifically, the suburbs around Dallas and Ft. Worth.