Meteorologist's dire warning as arctic bomb to blast up to 20 INCHES of snow across bulk of America:

[240B]

Meteorologist's dire warning as arctic bomb to blast up to 20 INCHES of snow across bulk of America: 'Plan for days without power'

Daily Mail
By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR
20 January 2026

Weather experts are issuing grave warnings to Americans not to make any travel plans over the weekend as a powerful winter storm is set to hit multiple states.

As much as 20 inches of heavy snow, sleet and ice are predicted to sweep across most of the eastern half of America, as Arctic air from Canada is set to travel south in what's been named Winter Storm Fern.

The storm is predicted to be one of the biggest in recent memory - with meteorologists urging people to prepare for days without power in their homes.   

'This is not good,' Weather Channel meteorologist Jordan Steele wrote on X. ' Plan now! Plan for going day(s) without power this weekend. School cancellations next week.'

'Do not plan a road trip this weekend. This could be situation where people get stuck on the highway.'

The National Weather Service is predicting up to a foot of heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet, as well as hazardous conditions and reduced visibility over the upcoming weekend.

'All model guidance shows arctic air making it down to the Gulf and East Coasts, which will clash with southern stream energy to produce a high impact winter storm across the southern tier,' the center wrote on Tuesday morning.

Confidence on 'bad impacts' is high, according to WFMY meteorologist Tim Buckley, who wrote on X that the 'incredible' amounts of moisture and 'tons of durable' cold air at the surface point to a bad storm.

'Models forecasting one to two inches of liquid (usually equals 10-20 inches of snow, or three to six inches of sleet, or up to one inch of ice),' Buckley wrote, adding that the amount remains unclear.

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15481205/winter-storm-weekend-arctic-weather-snow.html

[berdie]

I feel so sorry for these folks.

We (Texas) are predicted to have a bad winter storm this weekend. I not only hate it...I dread it!

But it's been mild so far...so I can't really complain.

[mountaineer]

My cousin in Delaware reports they're in for 8" of snow Sunday. Yikes. At least this storm seems to be bypassing us. We've already had plenty of snow and bitter cold this winter.

Oops, just checked my local forecast. New prediction is for 3" of snow here Sunday. Drat.

[Sighlass]

Weird part is there is no real Low Pressure tracking over the area... Just a High up north pumping cold down while the South just reacts to it. Low of 7 degree for Monday is the forecast here, Brrr to us. Another Northern invasion, get your milk/bread and buy ammo.

[Bigun]

I feel so sorry for these folks.

We (Texas) are predicted to have a bad winter storm this weekend. I not only hate it...I dread it!

But it's been mild so far...so I can't really complain.

Those folks is us! @berdie Big ice storm on the way.

[berdie]

*chuckle* I guess that's true @Bigun . I just hope they deliver my propane tomorrow and ERCOT isn't lying about being fully prepared.

Stay warm!

[Kamaji]

Looks like 8” to 12” forecast at our location on LI for next Sunday and Monday.  Whee!

[Sighlass]

Now calling for below 0 temps next Tuesday night... Freaking below zero, we ain't made for that kind of cold. Worse than that is the possibility of a Ice storm.... I have memories of what a 1/2" of ice does for this area... and it ain't pretty. Give us snow, but that ice storm stuff can be worse than the cold. We heat with wood, but with no electricity things get ugly with no fans to help pull the heat off the heater. Still better than no heat I guess, be a chance to practice a few bushcraft sleep setups inside.

[Lando Lincoln]

Overnight lows are forecasted to be -15 to -18 here for Friday and Saturday.

[corbe]

   There's nothing more Deadly than (South) Texans driving on ICE.

[berdie]

   There's nothing more Deadly than (South) Texans driving on ICE.

Or north Texans!! It's terrible scary.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Looks like we'll actually avoid it! *knock on wood*

It's been a shitty winter.

[mystery-ak]

For once it's not hitting us...we will get the minus temps but so far no snow in the forecast...we've already had enough snow...

[Cyber Liberty]

Now calling for below 0 temps next Tuesday night... Freaking below zero, we ain't made for that kind of cold. Worse than that is the possibility of a Ice storm.... I have memories of what a 1/2" of ice does for this area... and it ain't pretty. Give us snow, but that ice storm stuff can be worse than the cold. We heat with wood, but with no electricity things get ugly with no fans to help pull the heat off the heater. Still better than no heat I guess, be a chance to practice a few bushcraft sleep setups inside.

I remember from my youth living in Michigan that a heavy ice storm is worse than heavy snow. Ice can take a lot of power lines down.

[libertybele]

Stay safe and warm Texans and prayers up for all.

[libertybele]

I remember from my youth living in Michigan that a heavy ice storm is worse than heavy snow. Ice can take a lot of power lines down.

Ice is treacherous. I remember coming back from visiting family in FL to an ice storm in MI.  Luckily we had a wood burning stove at the time and it was a lifesaver. We had had wood delivered before we left and had enough dry wood to keep us toasty.

[Sighlass]

Some models have up to 2" of ice in some areas in the south... Nothing power-wise stays on with 2" of ice. Basically trees look like a tornado has hit them.  I have seen what a half inch of ice does , I can't fathom what more would do.

[Hoodat]

Weird part is there is no real Low Pressure tracking over the area... Just a High up north pumping cold down while the South just reacts to it. Low of 7 degree for Monday is the forecast here, Brrr to us. Another Northern invasion, get your milk/bread and buy ammo.

It will get very cold.  Then it will warm up to 33°F and rain.  Once it stops raining, the temperature will fall back in the teens.  Seen it happen again and again.  The weatherman is a liar.

[Kamaji]

I remember from my youth living in Michigan that a heavy ice storm is worse than heavy snow. Ice can take a lot of power lines down.

Yup.

[Sighlass]

It will get very cold.  Then it will warm up to 33°F and rain.  Once it stops raining, the temperature will fall back in the teens.  Seen it happen again and again.  The weatherman is a liar.

That is the usual pattern, except this time it will not have the low pressure driving it (counter clockwise) to swirl up the warm before the system... It will be 48 hours of precipitation with only the High pressure pumping down cold from up north. That is something that doesn't happen often down here.



Latest ice estimates from local weather... 2" of Ice would wipe us out.

[Smokin Joe]

Now calling for below 0 temps next Tuesday night... Freaking below zero, we ain't made for that kind of cold. Worse than that is the possibility of a Ice storm.... I have memories of what a 1/2" of ice does for this area... and it ain't pretty. Give us snow, but that ice storm stuff can be worse than the cold. We heat with wood, but with no electricity things get ugly with no fans to help pull the heat off the heater. Still better than no heat I guess, be a chance to practice a few bushcraft sleep setups inside.

  One of many varieties of thermally powered fans out there. Without electricity, they move the heat around as long as they are on the stove.

We're looking at single digits to twenties below zero until Monday, then a heat wave in the teens.

[Sighlass]

  One of many varieties of thermally powered fans out there. Without electricity, they move the heat around as long as they are on the stove.

We're looking at single digits to twenties below zero until Monday, then a heat wave in the teens.

Yeah, those fans look bad to the bone, but have also seen reviews that said they did very little to actually move the air. Still just for the aesthetics, I wouldn't mind have a few. Wranglestar on Youtube uses them a lot in his videos (sitting on his wood heater). 

P.S. I earlier said no Low Pressure was involved in this system, seems I am wrong (just watching one of later videos). So there is that, I'll leave the weather forecasting to one of our own that actually has a degree in the subject.

[Wingnut]

I'll leave the weather forecasting to one of our own that actually has a degree in the subject.

C'mon man, This is the interweb, where everyone is an expert on everything!  Don't sell yourself short!

[jmyrlefuller]

I'll leave the weather forecasting to one of our own that actually has a degree in the subject.

I'll take a look this afternoon after I get done with my day job.

[240B]

Doctors warn millions to stay inside this week as just minutes outdoors could be DEADLY

Daily Mail
By CASSIDY MORRISON
21 January 2026

As temperatures dip into the teens and lower across the US this week, health experts are issuing safety warnings that could save lives.

An arctic blast is bringing the season's coldest temperatures to the Northeast and Midwest this week. Cities in New York are expected to see single-digit temperatures, while a dramatic swing in Chicago will plunge temperatures below zero.

According to the forecasts, the regions could see temperatures as cold as -39F over the weekend, and parts could experience snow, making the cold temperatures even more dangerous.

With such arctic conditions, there is a risk of an influx of people going to emergency departments for hypothermia, a dangerous drop in body temperature caused by prolonged exposure to cold. Between 15,000 and 19,000 people visit the ED every year due to hypothermia, while an estimated 700 to 1,500 people die from it.

Dr Alina Mitina, an emergency room physician at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told the Daily Mail: 'In the ER, we see many cases of hypothermia and frostbite that were entirely preventable. We frequently treat individuals who went out for "just a few minutes" without proper gear.

'This includes people walking their dog, going for a short walk or having their car break down. They are often dressed for a quick trip, not for prolonged exposure and are caught off guard.'

In 20-degree air, initial shivering and numb fingers can begin within 10 to 15 minutes, but sweating or getting wet drastically accelerates the danger, as water pulls heat from the body 25 times faster than air.

Under those conditions, severe hypothermia can set in within 30 minutes, quickly progressing to violent shivering, confusion and loss of judgment within an hour.

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15481567/freezing-temperatures-wind-hypothermia-frostbite.html

[240B]

I'll take a look this afternoon after I get done with my day job.

That's right. Every time, every single time, I check the 10 day forecast it gets worse. Fortunately, I am always prepared no matter what happens.
This weekend is going to be arctic. If the predictions come true it is going to be very severe.

[rustynail]

'Doctors warn millions to stay inside this week', COVIID showed that 'Doctors' lie and try to manipulate.

[DCPatriot]

It's BLEEPING Winter, People!!!   

[mountaineer]

It's BLEEPING Winter, People!!!   

We know, but this winter already has been bad enough. We just want a break!
Our forecast for Sunday keeps getting worse and worse, and I'm supposed to have surgery on Monday. Can't make it if we get too much snow, because the 1.2 miles from our house to the main road won't be plowed until very late, if at all, and it doesn't take much to strand us here.

[Wingnut]

For y'all up their in the Snow and Ice Cone of uncertainty, I hear the stores are sold out of toilet paper.

[DB]

We know, but this winter already has been bad enough. We just want a break!
Our forecast for Sunday keeps getting worse and worse, and I'm supposed to have surgery on Monday. Can't make it if we get too much snow, because the 1.2 miles from our house to the main road won't be plowed until very late, if at all, and it doesn't take much to strand us here.

If the surgery is important, can't you get a hotel room near the hospital?

[mystery-ak]

Well just watched our local weather...we are now going to get snow but they won't give approximate snow totals until tomorrow when they have a better idea how far north this storm goes.

[240B]

It's BLEEPING Winter, People!!!   

If the forecasts are even partially right, this is NOT just winter weather, the same way a hurricane is NOT just another rainstorm. 
ALL the forecasts are predicting dangerous weather on the way.

[240B]

Americans in 30 states warned to brace for coldest winter storm EVER as 'downright concerned' forecasters predict -50F weather and 24in of snow

Daily Mail
By JOE HUTCHISON
21 January 2026

Americans in 30 states have been warned to brace for one of the worst winter storms ever, with forecasters predicting record low temperatures across parts of the country.

Frigid temperatures of up to 50 degrees below zero and a deluge of 24in of snow, sleet and ice are expected in an area covering more than 200 million residents.

Arctic air from Canada is set to move south, aided by Storm Fern, which meteorologists are predicting will be one of the most devastating blasts in recent memory.

Some residents have been urged to prepare for days without power as the weather front sweeps swathes of the nation, starting on Friday.

AccuWeather report that locations on the colder side of the storm could be hit with as much as 6 to 12 inches, while two feet, or 24 inches, is to pile up in parts of Appalachia. 

Forecaster Gerard Jebaily, from Fox45 in Baltimore, said: 'I don't ever say words like this: "This looks more and more like 'The Big One' for some parts of the US."'

He added that the southern US, accustomed to balmy weather, could be completely crippled by freezing rain. And the weather expert said some of the damage could resemble the aftermath of a hurricane, with power down for a week afterwards. 

Parts of New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, the Dakotas, Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and states in New England are all to expected be hit with the effects of the storm and freezing temperatures, impacting some 200 million people, according to The Washington Post.

Snow and ice will develop in the Northern Plains and spread south and eastwards through the weekend, when the most extreme weather will hit.

The mercury will plunge between 15 and 30 degrees below zero in the Dakotas and Michigan, with the wind chill falling between 35 and 50 degrees below zero in some parts, according to the Weather Channel.

In Duluth, Minnesota, the wind chill is expected to drop to a blistering 49 degrees below zero.

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15484245/American-states-winter-storm-weather-snow.html

My weekend forecast is still getting worse every time I check it. It is a sad fact that statistically, some people around the country are going to die from this storm. Even if Daily Mail is exaggerating, Weather.com is saying the same and they are not known for hyperbole.

[DefiantMassRINO]

... still not as bad as getting 100 inches of snow in 6 weeks during 2015.

The snow pile in front of Boston City Hall didn't fully melt until July 6, 2015.

[Free Vulcan]

C'mon man, This is the interweb, where everyone is an expert on everything!  Don't sell yourself short!

That's right! A couple of UTubes videos are all you need.

I'm starting my nuclear reactor build as soon as the plutonium arrives via USPS. 

[roamer_1]

We're looking at single digits to twenties below zero until Monday, then a heat wave in the teens.

We'll get nothing. 6" on the ground and t-shirt weather. 

It ain't gonna be a pretty thing this summer if we don't get some snow soon. Heck, it's almost breakup. There should be 3 ft in my yard. 

[rustynail]

That's right! A couple of UTubes videos are all you need.

I'm starting my nuclear reactor build as soon as the plutonium arrives via USPS. 

Please remember people, your local conservation officer can give you a hefty fine for having a reactor in your garage.

You need a fission licence.

[240B]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KP5KinXRVU

[roamer_1]

You need a fission licence.

I see what you did there... Aw man, that was bad. 

[Free Vulcan]

I see what you did there... Aw man, that was bad. 

One of those so bad it was good. Maybe Red Green worthy.

[Wingnut]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KP5KinXRVU

Some of you Briefers that have said I'll do that when hell freezes over, well, put it on your schedule for this week!

[roamer_1]

One of those so bad it was good. Maybe Red Green worthy.

We're all dads here... So it's alright. 

[Polly Ticks]

Bookmarking to see what @jmyrlefuller things about all this when he takes a look later.

Sounds like those with access to snow plow attachments for their trucks are about to have a windfall.

[mountaineer]

If the surgery is important, can't you get a hotel room near the hospital?

Thankfully, it's not urgent - could be postponed. By the time the hospital calls Friday to tell me when to arrive on Monday, we'll have a better idea of when the storm will hit (right now, looks like Sat. afternoon or evening all the way through Sunday evening) and how much snow to expect. If it won't be manageable, I'll just advise that I'll be stranded at the bottom of a hill and can't get there.

[libertybele]

Some of you Briefers that have said I'll do that when hell freezes over, well, put it on your schedule for this week!

lol .... it's been darn cold here but it looks like this 'arctic bomb' will miss us.

[Kamaji]

Some of you Briefers that have said I'll do that when hell freezes over, well, put it on your schedule for this week!

[rustynail]

Q: Why did Frosty lie down on the sidewalk?

A: Waiting for the snow blower..

[Wingnut]

High 69F. [/b] Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Sunday Night
Low 32°F

Huge swing.  Me no like!

[jmyrlefuller]

Some models have up to 2" of ice in some areas in the south... Nothing power-wise stays on with 2" of ice. Basically trees look like a tornado has hit them.  I have seen what a half inch of ice does , I can't fathom what more would do.

2" of ice is practically impossible. (puts meteorologist hat on)

In order to get ice (freezing rain), you have to have a very specific atmospheric setup: a narrow layer of below-freezing air at the surface, another layer of warmer than freezing air above that, and an overall atmosphere that is conducive to convection to wring the water vapor out of the atmosphere. That kind of setup is inherently unstable. For one, when water freezes, it releases latent heat into the atmosphere around it. Dump a substantial amount of freezing rain into that shallow layer and it eventually warms up enough that it reaches equilibrium. Not to mention the sheer amount of liquid coming down pushes and mixes the air around it.