With more than 160 million people under weather warnings on Jan. 21, and advisories extending into February, the National Weather Service is cranking out guides to explain where the snow and ice could be deepest and the sub zero temperatures coldest.
Time to make sure your kitchen is stocked with water, food that doesn't need electricity to prepare and ensure that you, your pets, family and neighbors are ready for the latest Arctic blast sweeping the country, said the weather service, one section of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
As of 4 p.m. on Jan. 21, around 230 million people are forecast to be affected by extreme cold of less than 20 degrees, according to Zack Taylor, branch chief of the weather service's Weather Prediction Center. At least 85 million people are under a warning, watch or advisory for extreme cold, and another 70 million are under a winter storm watch.
Be sure to monitor your local forecasts as conditions will change through the weekend. Meteorologists are confident a storm will happen, but are less certain of the specific track and timing as several patterns jostle around in the atmosphere.
A path to the north could create more dangerous conditions to the north, while a more southward path could push bitter cold temperatures and ice into the South.
