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On Thursday, traffic is becoming snarled and authorities are warning drivers to stay off the roads as wintry weather dumps snow across the Mid-South and Appalachians. Winter weather warnings and advisories are currently in effect for Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Mid-Atlantic states all the way up to Maine. Up to 8 inches of snow is currently forecast to fall on Kentucky through early Friday morning. However, parts of West Virginia could see up to a foot by midday tomorrow. At least a dozen vehicles and trucks are already reported to have slid off of Interstate-55 in southeast Missouri.

Moreover, accidents in Kentucky were being reported along I-75 outside of Lexington. Closures are also being reported along with parts of I-65 and I-40 in Tennessee. The National Weather Service issued a warning and said that significant wintry weather is expected to produce hazardous travel in the Mid-South and Appalachians as moisture overruns a strong cold front. This front will move eastward tonight bringing several inches of snow and likely travel impacts from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. A storm in the Northwest will produce areas of flooding from heavy rain and snowmelt, and several feet of mountain snow. The officials and private groups opened emergency spaces for people across western Washington State and Oregon to find refuge as forecasters said extreme cold from an arctic blast could last until the weekend.

It is noteworthy that snow showers blew into the Pacific Northwest on Sunday from the Gulf of Alaska, dumping up to 15 centimeters or 6inches across the Seattle area and snarling traffic throughout the greater Seattle and Portland areas. The National Weather Service also said that Seattle’s low Sunday was -6.7 C (20 degrees F), breaking a mark set in 1948. However, Bellingham, Washington, was -12.8 C (9F), 1.7C degrees colder than the previous record set in 1971. The Oregon State officials have declared an emergency. In Multnomah County, about half a dozen weather shelters were open. Seattle city leaders also opened at least 6 severe weather shelters and the mayor declared an emergency. Utilities reported about 5,000 customers without power on Monday in western Washington and Oregon.