Heavy snow, ice impacting millions from Texas to New England

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A major winter storm continues to crawl eastward, with heavy snow and ice impacting millions of people across a 2,000-plus-mile swath stretching from Texas and the Southern Plains through the Midwest to the Northeast.

Freezing rain and heavy snow caused numerous travel issues through the Ohio Valley on Thursday and even forced authorities to shut down some major interstates in the Buckeye State.

One-quarter to one-third of an inch of ice accretion was reported in the Memphis, Tennessee, metro area, where freezing rain had downed trees and knocked out power to more than 120,000 people as of Thursday evening.

The National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Warnings, Ice Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories from parts of Texas northeastward to New England and northern New Jersey.

WEATHER WIRE: 2,000-MILE AREA OF SNOW, ICE CONTINUES TO CRAWL EAST CREATING MAJOR TRAVEL IMPACTS

Snow, sleet and/or freezing rain will make driving conditions hazardous in these regions on Friday, so you're advised to postpone or cancel any travel plans along the path of this winter storm. There may also be power outages and tree damage in any areas that see significant icing from freezing rain, especially where Ice Storm Warnings are in effect.

WHAT IS AN ICE STORM?

The blast of frigid air following in the storm's wake could cause roads to remain icy even after the precipitation ends.

Here is our current outlook for the winter storm's timing and expected snow and ice amounts through Friday. Be sure to download the FOX Weather app for the latest forecast and weather alerts for your exact location, plus the 24/7 livestream.

Storm timing

Friday

This storm's cold front will finally reach the Northeast on Friday, which could usher in enough cold air to change the rain over to a period of snow, sleet or ice from southern New England to at least portions of the New York City tri-state area.

Slick travel conditions are possible where the rain is able to change over to wintry precipitation. Southern New England has the highest risk of travel impacts because rapidly falling temperatures will lead to a flash freeze-up of wet roads in the region.

Farther north and west, snow will continue much of the day from the upper Ohio Valley to western and northern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and northern New England.

This storm should finally exit off the Northeast coast on Friday night, with another blast of frigid air following in its wake this weekend.

BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES, DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS INVADING CENTRAL, EASTERN U.S. BEHIND WINTER STORM

How much snow?

A widespread area of snow has already fallen since Tuesday night and Wednesday from portions of Colorado and New Mexico to parts of Kansas, central and northern Missouri, central and northern Illinois, northern Indiana and Lower Michigan. More than 6 inches was measured around the Chicago, Detroit and Denver metro areas.

The heaviest additional snowfall will target the Ohio Valley, upstate New York and northern New England, where storm totals are also expected to exceed 6 inches. A foot or more of snow could fall in portions of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine through Friday.

WHAT MAKES THIS WEEK'S WINTER STORM DIFFERENT FROM LAST WEEKEND'S NOR'EASTER?

How much ice?

Ice accumulations from freezing rain are likely over an expansive area from North and Central Texas to southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, West and Middle Tennessee, the Ohio Valley and portions of the Northeast.

All locations that have a period of freezing rain should see at least a glaze of ice, which is sufficient to create icy roads and dangerous driving conditions. Scattered power outages and broken tree limbs are also not ruled out from North and Central Texas all the way into parts of Pennsylvania, New York's Hudson Valley and New England.

In some areas, the accretion of ice on tree branches and power lines could become heavy enough to cause more widespread power outages and tree damage.

HOW MUCH ICE IS NEEDED TO KNOCK OUT POWER, DAMAGE TREES?

The highest risk for this disruptive ice appears to be in parts of eastern Arkansas, northwestern Mississippi, West Tennessee, extreme southeastern Missouri, far southern Illinois and Indiana, much of Kentucky and portions of southern Ohio.

This zone with the highest threat for disruptive ice includes the cities of Memphis in Tennessee, Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky and Evansville in Indiana. One-quarter to one-half inch of ice is possible in some of these areas, with locally higher amounts not ruled out.

Winter storm recap

Snow totals

This sprawling winter storm got underway Tuesday night and Wednesday in the Rockies and Midwest.

Between 6 and 11 inches of snow fell in the Denver metro area, while up to 22 inches was measured in the higher elevations south and southwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The high country of northern New Mexico tallied up to 21 inches.

COLORADO SPRINGS BLANKETED BY NEARLY 2 FEET OF SNOW

At least 6 inches of snow was reported over a broad area from central Missouri into central and northern Illinois, northern Indiana and southern Lower Michigan, including portions of Chicagoland.

As of Thursday morning, the top snowfall total in the Midwest was 14.5 inches in Macomb, Illinois.

There was a sharp gradient in snow totals across Chicagoland on Wednesday, as illustrated in the map below.

O'Hare Airport picked up 5.6 inches, but just 15 miles away, 11 inches was measured at Midway Airport.

In Michigan, Lansing reported its all-time snowiest February day on Wednesday when 13.3 inches piled up. The previous calendar-day record for February was 13 inches, which had stood since Feb. 28, 1900, according to the National Weather Service. It was also Lansing's sixth-snowiest day of any month and the city's snowiest day since Dec. 11, 2000.

Ice totals

Three-quarters of an inch of ice accretion was reported in Mason, Texas, after several hours of freezing rain had fallen.

Numerous locations from Texas to Arkansas and West Tennessee had received at least a half-inch of ice as of Thursday afternoon.

Up to three-tenths of an inch of ice was reported in Altamont, Illinois, from freezing rain on Wednesday afternoon.

One-quarter inch of ice accretion was measured in Preston, Missouri, while other parts of Missouri and southern Illinois recorded 0.15 to 0.20 inches of ice.

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