A massive winter storm is expected to hit the country this week, bringing snow to millions of residents in the north, weather forecasters predicted on Tuesday.
Strong winds and icy conditions have prompted weather warnings across 22 states, including for flash floods. Blizzard warnings have been issued across five states in the northern United States.
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"A prolonged major winter storm will spread a large swath of heavy snow from the West Coast to the Northeast today through Friday," the National Weather Service tweeted Monday. "Confidence is high that this winter storm will be extremely disruptive to travel, infrastructure, livestock, and recreation in affected areas."
A prolonged major winter storm will spread a large swath of heavy snow from the West Coast to the Northeast today through Friday, and confidence is high that this winter storm will be extremely disruptive to travel, infrastructure, livestock, and recreation in affected areas. pic.twitter.com/0hWhXWAdfE
— National Weather Service (@NWS) February 20, 2023
Even though the north, the Northeast, and the West Coast will have cold temperatures, the South is expected to see temperatures on the opposite side of the spectrum. States such as Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina will have temperatures in the 70s through 90s, with Florida being the warmest, according to weather reports. Washington, D.C., will have temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.
"Beyond the numerous weather hazards expected this week, another major story will be the significantly anomalous warm temperatures for February over the East and cold temperatures over the West," an advisory released by the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said Tuesday. "Temperatures on Wednesday will be 20-30 degrees above average for many locations across the Southern Plains, Midwest, and Southeast and 20-30 degrees below average over the Northern/Central Plains and much of the West."
Minnesota declared a "peacetime emergency" on Tuesday, ahead of the winter storms. The declaration allows Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to call up the National Guard in preparation for the storms.
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Parts of California are expected to witness an uncommon February cold spell, with Burbank hitting a high of 49 degrees this week and San Francisco hitting a high of 48.
The unusual weather comes as the country saw more extreme weather conditions this season, and parts of the country broke winter records.