While Southern California continues to grapple with several devastating wildfires, a massive winter storm is bringing heavy snow and ice to millions of people across the U.S. South on Friday.

The storm will continue on Saturday, forecasters said. Six to 10 inches of snow is expected from eastern Oklahoma through the Mid-South and the southern Appalachians.

Snow will turn into sleet and freezing rain along parts of the Southeast, as well as southern Arkansas, the weather service reported. Forecasters warn that icy conditions, between a tenth and a quarter inch of ice, will make travel dangerous for many. Power outages and downed branches are also a concern.

At least 41 million people were under a winter storm warning as the storm moved along the Gulf Coast Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The storm should weaken by Saturday, bringing lighter snow between 1 and 3 inches to parts of the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio Valley before exiting off the Carolinas.

The weather service in Atlanta warned that freezing rain could cause damage along and north of the I-20 corridor through Friday.

This comes after a colossal storm produced severe winter weather to much of the country, including a region spanning from northeastern Kansas to north-central Missouri which saw snowfall around 15 inches.

More than 3,200 U.S. flights have been canceled and over 5,100 others have been delayed as of 6:30 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. That includes more than half the flights in and out of Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville. And even though the storm has moved out of Dallas, over 20% of flights into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field remain canceled Friday.

Travelers scheduled to make connections through these cities are also impacted. Aside from being Delta's home, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, and both DFW and Charlotte Douglas International Airport are hubs for American Airlines.

Impacted travelers may rebook flights without penalty. Here's what you're owed if your flight is canceled or delayed by the storm. (Source: USA Today)

Story Date: January 12, 2025