More than 100 million people across the United States were under winter weather advisories or warnings Thursday night, as forecasters said another round of arctic air was expected to move east.
While temperatures won't be as frigid as in recent days in much of the United States, the National Weather Service said the cold air would continue pushing into the Plains and Mississippi Valley Friday and then into the Eastern U.S. Saturday.
Highs in the Plains will be 20 to 25 degrees below normal, the agency said. Forecasters in the Memphis, Tennessee, area, warned of dense freezing fog and stressed that people should stay home. Snow and ice have posed challenges for millions stepping outside.
- Chicagoans could see up to 4 inches of snow by Friday morning's rush hour, and the wind chill could be minus 5 at noon.
- With freezing fog forecast for the entire mid-South, the weather service in Memphis warned: "If you don’t need to travel, please stay off the roadways. Please be safe."
- Philadelphia was expected to start seeing snow at 5 a.m. Friday, and the city could see 4 to 6 inches of accumulation, forecasters said. Similar amounts were forecast for New Jersey.
- The New York City metropolitan area could get 2 to 3 inches starting Friday, the weather service there said, but there will be freezing temperatures through Monday. Single-digit wind chills were forecast for the city.
- Lake-effect snow continued to fall in the Buffalo, New York, area, with bands Thursday producing 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 by around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Since Jan. 12, there have been 47 confirmed deaths across the U.S. related to the weather, including hypothermia, car crashes, and deaths while people cleared snow, according to a a count by NBC News. Another seven are suspected to be weather-related.
Officials confirmed at least 16 people have died in Tennessee, which has seen plummeting temperatures and snow.
Since Sunday, more than 9 inches of snow have fallen on Nashville where public schools remained closed Thursday and will be again Friday.
Orchard Park, New York, where the Buffalo Bills' stadium is located, is forecast to get 8 inches of snow through Saturday. Ahead of Sunday's playoff game, the team has once again asked fans to help shovel snow at Highmark Stadium.
In Kansas, Interstate 70 westbound at Hays was closed Thursday due to the weather.
"High winds and blowing snow is creating black ice making it extremely dangerous to drive, and we are getting overwhelmed with crashes and slide offs," a spokesman for the Kansas Highway Patrol said on X.
Freezing rain and snow have slammed the Pacific Northwest. On Thursday night, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a statewide emergency, noting Friday would be the sixth day residents of her state would endure winter storms.
Thousands have been impacted, she said, including from power outages or transportation problems.
Public schools in Portland, Oregon, will remain closed Friday, the school district said.
Also in Portland, firefighters urged residents to pay special attention to trees and power lines where accumulation of snow and ice threaten to bring them down — and potentially lead to tragedy.
A power line fell on a SUV Wednesday, killing three people when they got out of the vehicle, Portland firefighters said. A baby was rescued by a bystander.
"If you do go outside 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.
