MORE than 200 million people are set to be at risk as several US states brace for a winter storm that could deliver up to 24 inches of snow in parts of the country.
Forecasters have claimed the impact could be “generational” and it has prompted shoppers to stock up on essentials at the supermarkets, leaving bare shelves.
Swathes of the US from New Mexico to New England could see whiteout conditions, including snow and freezing rain, as Winter Storm Fern.
Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has already warned the storm could “be a widespread potentially catastrophic event from Texas to the Carolinas.”
Around 200 million Americans are at risk, according to Fox Weather meteorologists.
States of emergency have already been declared in North and South Carolina, and officials fear the storm could bring widespread travel chaos – including on Interstate 95 – a major highway that stretches more than 1,900 miles from Miami, Florida, to the Canadian border in Maine.
Maryland governor Wes Moore has declared a state of preparedness, while Texas governor Greg Abbott has activated the state’s emergency response measures.
Shoppers are already stockpiling on bottled water and loaves of bread, according to videos shared on TikTok.
A Walmart shopper in Alabama filmed inside the supermarket, showing empty fridges.
Residents in Little Rock, Arkansas, flocked to hardware shops, stocking up on shovels, sleds, and ice-melting products.
New York and Washington state could see between 18 and 24 inches of snow, according to Fox Weather meteorologists.
And, the coldest wind chills could reach -50F across the Northern Plains – a region that encompasses states including North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska.
Winter storm warnings are already in place across New York, which will impact Americans in the cities of Oswego, Watertown and Lowville.
One warning is in place until 7pm local time on Friday.
Then, a winter storm watch will come into force from Saturday night and remain in place until Monday.
Widespread heavy snow is possible, National Weather Service meteorologists have warned.
Significant snowfall is set to blanket the Eastern Lake Ontario region.
Drivers have been warned to expect widespread travel chaos.
“Travel within the most intense of the band [of snow] may be nearly impossible at times,” the NWS says.
Drivers have already been urged to start planning their trips.
Winter storm warnings will also come into force across parts of Oklahoma and northern Texas from 6am Friday.
At least six inches of snow is set to fall and wind speeds could reach as high as 35mph.
Glazes of ice up to two tenths of an inch are also a possibility, according to forecasters.
Americans thinking about heading outdoors have been warned to wear several layers of clothing.
“Motorists should use extreme caution if travel is absolutely necessary,” forecasters say.
In Dallas, transport bosses are already starting to make preparations.
The city could spend more than 48 hours below freezing and 50 record low temperatures across the US are possible between Sunday and Tuesday, as reported by NBC News.
Roads are being treated with brine, and salt and sand mixtures are being loaded onto trucks.
Up to 50 sand trucks could be deployed and warming shelters will be opened.
One site located in Fair Park could fit up to 900 people, as reported by the NBC affiliate KXAS-TV.
Pam Knox, the director of the University of Georgia Weather Network, said the storm could be a “generational” event for those living in the Deep South, as reported by CBC News.
The expected cold snap has forced sporting fixtures to be postponed.
The Winter Games in Carmel, Indiana, has been postponed over fears competitors could get frostbite during human curling bouts.
The Texas Rangers baseball team has been forced to cancel its annual Fan Fest event, and college sports team have also shelved games.
Whiteout conditions have already caused chaos across the US.
A 100-car pileup was seen in Michigan and meteorologists have warned about the risk of exploding trees.
The horror pile-up, just southwest of Grand Rapids on Interstate 196, saw 30 semi-trailer trucks and about 70 cars crash into each other in the icy Arctic conditions.
