,
Doyle rice
| USA TODAY

Heavy snowfall to continue in the northwest
The second storm will help to produce the highest winter snow totals to date in Portland and Seattle.
USA TODAY
Heavy snow and ice hit the Pacific Northwest on Saturday morning, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, while parts of the plains, south and mid-Atlantic were preparing for more snow and freezing rain early next week.
Meteorologists said on Friday that the United States is experiencing one of its busiest winter weather patterns “in decades”. A mass of extremely cold arctic air spread across much of the country is fueling winter storms across the country.
“A very active weekend is ahead for the winter weather, as much of the United States has concerns about extreme cold temperatures, heavy snow and ice,” reported the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said on Twitter Saturday. “From coast to coast, from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic, there are a number of headlines about the prevailing winter climate. Stay safe!”
In seven states – including Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia – more than 700,000 people were left without power on Saturday afternoon, according to Poweroutage.us.
An ice storm alert was in effect for parts of Oregon, Maryland and Virginia, where ice buildup could reach a quarter to a half inch, the NWS said.
“Power outages and damage to trees are expected due to the ice. The trip can be almost impossible. The combination of the forecast of freezing and snow and ice already on the trees will create a very dangerous situation,” said the NWS.
The brutal winter climate shows no signs of abating: Snow, ice and intense cold to continue from coast to coast
In Nashville, icy roads caused a traffic jam on Saturday morning involving 18 vehicles and causing six minor injuries on Interstate 24, according to the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department.
The Nashville Fire Department, which dispatched at least 15 emergency vehicles for shelving, said several drivers had been transported to local hospitals.
“Please continue to avoid the area if possible,” the fire department said in a tweet. “If you are traveling in this area, be careful, as emergency responders are working to clean the place up.”
A major winter storm is expected to develop in the southern plains from Sunday to Monday, with a large area of snow, hail and freezing rain expected, the NWS said.
Texas and parts of the South could see record coldness in the coming days. At Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, the current forecast for a maximum temperature of 24 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon would be the coldest on record since December 22, 1990.
“For sections of the western Gulf coast, the impactful winter climate occurs once a decade,” said the NWS Prediction Center said on Twitter on Friday.
Saturday morning, parts of Texas saw “thundersleet“, said the National Meteorological Service, warning that heavy freezing rain and hail are expected to accumulate.
According to Weather.com, the approaching storm will bring considerably worse weather conditions than seen on Thursday morning in Texas, when at least six people were killed and another 65 hospitalized – including newly departed health professionals. of their shifts – in a massive chain reaction accident that involved more than 100 vehicles on an icy interstate.
Some of the people injured in the accident were health professionals. A Fort Worth nurse, Rebecca Benson, crawled out of her crumpled car and walked about a mile in a cold climate to get to work and end a shift, according to local media.
This weekend, the Texas Department of Transportation is warning residents to stay off the road.
“Please, please, stay home if possible. If you need to drive, reduce your speed and increase the tracking distance,” said the department. said on Twitter.
In Austin, early respondents faced hundreds of emergency calls more than usual in the past few days, according to local KXAN-TV.
“Guys, it’s COLD!” the Austin Fire Department wrote on Twitter Friday. “The roads are wet and slippery, and let’s be honest – we Texans are not so good at driving in these conditions. So, if you can stay at home, please stay!”
Other parts of the US, however, are seeing much colder temperatures. In Billings, Montana, the NWS said on Twitter on Friday that the area spent 132 hours below zero and is expected to face almost three days more of freezing temperatures. “This is many hours below 0 °,” said the agency.
Contributing: Brett Kelman, Nashville Tennessean

Snow makes winter wonderful in Virginia
The falling snow has created a winter paradise from a winding road in Virginia.
Associated Press, USA TODAY