With more than 230 million Americans under winter storm weather warning, three major US cities are expected to be hit with the most snow.
Boston, New York City and Oklahoma City are each expected to accumulate between 12 and 18 inches of snow between Friday and Monday as Winter Storm Fern sweeps the nation.
Oklahoma has already had major snowfall beginning on Friday night, but heavier snow is expected to continue into Saturday, reported KOCO.
A winter storm warning issued over the entire state will remain in effect until Sunday at noon.
Massachusetts is expecting Fern to be the biggest winter storm in four years, reported NBC Boston.
Snow is set to begin on Sunday and roll over into Monday.
New York is one of 21 states to issue a state of emergency as it braces for the severe storm. Warnings are in place from 3am on Sunday to 6pm on Monday.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was a little more modest in his prediction for how much snow could fall and he warned residents to expect ‘whiteout or near whiteout’ conditions with eight to 12 inches.
Sanitation workers prepared roads in New York City, as it braces for the storm
Oklahoma City has already been hit by snowfall with more expected in the coming days
Winter Storm Fern is set barrel through 35 states, affecting more than 230 million Americans
Despite calls for a traditional snow day on Monday, Mamdani stated parents would be informed by Sunday at noon on whether students would learn remotely or in the classroom.
Some reports suggested the Big Apple would accumulate two inches of snow per hour.
Upstate New York has already been pummeled with lake-affected snow and is expected to get more as Fern makes its way through the Northeast.
The storm is set to barrel through 35 states as the weekend progresses from the Midwest to the Northeast.
Snow has already begun to fall in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Minnesota as of Saturday morning.
Despite the already treacherous conditions, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has stated he will not declare a state of emergency.
‘Overall, I feel really, really good about it. I know we’ve got a second wave coming in,’ he said.
Fern is expected to be the coldest winter storm on record, with freezing temperatures threatening roads and power grids.
Texas experienced its first snowstorm of the year. Looming weather and freezing temperatures threatened roads, leaving many without power
Salt trucks and plows are at the ready across New York City in preparation of the weekend’s weather events
Approximately 15,000 flights have been affected by Winter Storm Fern
Nearly 133,000 Americans have been left without power, the majority of whom reside in Texas.
Major roads across the country have become slick with ice as the public was urged to take every precaution while traveling.
Travel was a major concern for many Americans, with more than 15,000 flights affected by the weather chaos.
However, some flights are still expected to take off, including several out of Nashville despite up to six inches of snow.
Some parts of the US could be threatened with thunder ice, a rare phenomenon that occurs when lightning and thunder occur during a snowstorm.
President Trump has assured Americans that the country is prepared for the record-breaking weather event.
‘I have been briefed on the Record Cold Wave and Historic Winter Storm that will be hitting much of the United States this weekend,’ he wrote on Truth Social on Friday.
‘The Trump Administration is coordinating with State and Local Officials. FEMA is fully prepared to respond. Stay Safe and Stay Warm!’
Freezing temperatures are causing road closures across the country as US drivers were warned to stay off the roads
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the Daily Mail that FEMA and the White House have been working together in response to the storm.
‘Under the President’s leadership, FEMA, and the entire Administration, has proactively mobilized significant resources to support states in the path of this storm, ensuring a rapid and well-coordinated response,’ she wrote.