Families could lose power as Winter Storm Fern is forecast to bring bitter cold, snow, sleet and ice from New Mexico up through New England this weekend.
The storm is expected to impact more than 170 million Americans through Monday, according to the National Weather Service. At least 14 states across the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic have issued emergency declarations.
Catastrophic ice accumulations are expected across the Southern Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the Southeast that could result in “long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable conditions,” the NWS has warned.
Snowfalls greater than 12 inches are expected across the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast that could cause widespread travel disruptions.
The Department of Energy is ready to issue orders that would make backup power generation available to prevent blackouts, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a Thursday letter to electric grid operators.
