Winter storm hell sees main metropolis grind to a halt underneath six inches of snow as 12,000 flights canceled – and the worst continues to be to come back

Snow has already hit the Ohio Valley and is traveling East, with parts of the South and Northeast bracing for heavy snowfall and freezing rain tomorrow morning.

Little Rock, Arkansas, has already been hit with almost 8 inches of snow, while Beloit, Kansas, is buried under 7 inches, and Memphis, Tennessee, has seen 3.5 inches.

Temperatures across the US are 10 to 40 degrees below average, with wind chills in the Northern Plains set to plummet to -50 degrees overnight.

The public transportation system in Austin was shut down at 4pm local time, ending all service on Saturday.

The system will be suspended through Sunday. Weather conditions will be monitored on Monday. It is unclear when the metro system will be reopened.

Texas is expected to undergo an ice storm, with temperatures sinking as low as -5F.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he expected record lows this weekend, warning that temperatures may be the coldest they’ve been in eight years.

He added that officials are expecting at least eight to nine inches of snow along with intense, prolonged frigid temperatures.

The mayor said on Saturday evening that sanitation already begun salting roadways to prepare for the storm.

Mamdani said over 2,000 sanitation workers will be working 12-hour shifts over the weekend and plows are set to go out once two inches of snow hit the ground.

Donald Trump announced on Truth Social this evening that 10 more states are currently under a state of emergency as winter storm Fern is in full force.

The president said on Truth Social that he’s confirmed emergency declarations for Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia.

‘We are working closely with FEMA, Governors, and State Emergency Management teams to ensure the safety of everybody. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!’ Trump added

Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas are the first to be covered in snow during a historic winter storm.

Take a look at the wintery scenes below, including a snowy street in Owensboro, Kentucky, fresh snow covering Fort Worth, Texas, snow plows in Arkansas, and a snowy hill in Little Rock.

Snowfall has already hit Midwest and Southern cities, including:

• Amarillo, Texas
• Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Columbus, Ohio
• Richmond, Virginia

Meanwhile, the following cities have been hit with a wintry mix of snow and ice:

• Nashville, Tennessee
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Dallas, Texas

The breakfast mainstay announced it is closing all its stores in South Carolina just after 5pm on Saturday.

Waffle Houses are known for staying open in all but the most extreme circumstances, with their decision to close a further indicator of just how bad things will get.

The historic winter storm has so-far left 100,000 without power, the Weather Channel reported.

Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain have begun to fall from Texas to Kentucky. Texans have been warned freezing weather may make it too dangerous to go outside for five days.

Forecasters are most fearful of ice accumulation as this is what is most likely to down power lines.

Arkansas has been plunged into chaos by Storm Fern, with capital Little Rock blanketed with eight inches of snow, while the state’s transit bosses have warned that every road is suffering from ‘winter weather impacts’.

Trucks have slid off freeways near Ozark and lanes have been blocked by big rigs trapped by the chaos.

So far, there have been 33 crashes across the state caused by the weather.