Snow, freezing rain, and sleet are now slicing across America's Heartland on a 2,300+ mile journey toward the East Coast. More than 190 million people are under some type of winter weather alert, breaking the record for the most number of U.S. counties simultaneously under a Winter Storm Warning. Stay here throughout the day for the most comprehensive and up-to-the-minute weather news as the storm treks east.
Conditions are deteriorating quickly across Arkansas as snow slams the region. Radar shows heavy snow now falling along Interstate 40 between Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. Farther south, a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet is creeping north, which will further worsen driving conditions.
{{#rendered}}{{#rendered}}Millions of Americans are waking up to frigid temperatures. As if the single-digit air temperatures weren't enough, stiff winds are making it feel much colder. Wind chills are currently near 0°F in New York and approaching -30°F in Chicago. With wind chills this low, frostbite can occur within just 30 minutes to any exposed skin.
{{#rendered}}Some Texans are waking up without power this morning. Data from PowerOutage.com shows power outages increasing across Northeast Texas, particularly in Delta, Lamar, and Morris Counties. As of now, more than 29,000 customers are without electricity in the Lone Star State.
The FOX Forecast Center just received a new snow report. 6 inches of snow has been recorded in Little Rock, Arkansas since last night.
While snow is falling in some parts of Arkansas, other areas are seeing freezing rain. This is rain that falls to the ground and freezes upon hitting the surface due to freezing temperatures. Texarkana, AR is just one of the places expected to see significant icing this weekend due to the winter storm. That ice can build up quickly and turn roads into an ice rink, weighing down trees, and pulling down power lines.
{{#rendered}}FOX Weather is closely monitoring power outages as this massive winter storm sweeps across the nation. Right now, PowerOutage.com reports more than 18,000 energy customers are without power in Texas.
America's massive winter storm is still in its early stages and millions of people will see snow and ice in the next two days.
As of 6 a.m. ET Saturday, Kansas has seen the most snow so far. 6 inches of snow has already been reported near Hays, KS.
{{#rendered}}More than 4" of snow has been reported in and around Little Rock, Arkansas this morning. ARDOT cameras show snow-covered roads in the city and throughout central Arkansas.
It's not a great weekend for those taking to the skies. America's colossal winter storm has now forced airlines to cancel more than 10,000 U.S. flights through Monday. If you are planning to fly, double check with your airline to see if your flight is scheduled to takeoff as scheduled. Most of the nation's major air carriers issued travel waivers ahead of the storm, allowing customers to change their flight without paying a change fee.
Oklahomans are waking up to less snow than expected this morning. Radar estimates only a few inches of snow have fallen overnight in the OKC metro area, less than what was predicted.
The FOX Forecast Center explains suppression is to blame. Frigid air moving in at the surface overwhelmed and suppressed the milder, moist air flowing in above it. This essentially cutoff the firehose of moisture from reaching central Oklahoma.
Forecasters caution that people shouldn't think it's over. A second round of heavier snow is expected to hit the Sooner State later tonight into early Sunday. And things will be different this time around with a more classic winter storm setup allowing for heftier snow totals.
{{#rendered}}While millions of Americans are dealing with the threat of snow and ice, the southern end of this massive storm is producing a different threat: flash flooding. Right now, the FOX Forecast Center is closely monitoring a cluster of thunderstorms that has developed near the Houston metro area. These storms are producing very heavy rain as they approach Houston. Some localized flash flooding could occur as these storms drop up to an inch of rain an hour in some spots.
Snow is covering the ground this morning in Oklahoma City. An image from OKTRAFFIC.ORG shows snow partially covering I-35 at this hour.
{{#rendered}}With Dallas Fort Worth International Airport dealing with dangerous freezing rain and sleet this weekend, airlines have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights. The latest data from FlightAware shows more than 70% of DFW's schedule has been canceled over the next two days.
Big travel trouble for weekend fliers - FlightAware reports more than 14,800 U.S. flights have now been disrupted by the storm. That number includes nearly 10,000 canceled flights and 5,000 others that have been delayed.
Overnight snow and ice have triggered power outages in parts of the Lone Star State. As of 4 a.m. CT Saturday, more than 18,000 customers were without power.
{{#rendered}}An early morning look at radar shows our winter storm ramping up across the Heartland. Snow is falling from Kansas City to Little Rock, with freezing rain and sleet reported near Dallas. Conditions will continue to deteriorate throughout the morning in these areas as snow and ice build up.
You can go back and see how the forecast for this winter storm has evolved with our live coverage from Friday.
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