A major winter storm threatens parts of the central U.S. with snow, ice and even blizzards

A major, disruptive winter storm was sweeping across the central U.S. on Sunday, forecasters said, bringing with it a dreaded combination of snow, ice and plunging temperatures.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri - where blizzard conditions are expected - to New Jersey.

In the two states where blizzard warnings were in effect, travel “could be very difficult to impossible," with snow whipped around by high winds reducing visibility, the NWS said. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.

"Do not travel unless necessary!" the NWS said.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually stays penned up around the North Pole, spinning like a top. But sometimes it escapes or stretches down to the U.S., Europe or Asia - and that's when large numbers of people experience intense doses of cold.

Studies show a fast-warming Arctic gets some of the blame for the increase in polar vortex stretching or wandering.

By Saturday evening, widespread heavy snow was likely between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70. Part of the interstate was closed in central Kansas by the afternoon. Total snow and sleet accumulations for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri were predicted to be as high as 14 inches (35.6 centimeters).

The storm was forecast to move then into the Ohio Valley, with severe travel disruptions expected. It will reach the Mid-Atlantic states on Sunday into Monday, with a hard freeze even expected as far south as Florida.

Severe thunderstorms, with the possibility of tornadoes and hail, were also possible ahead of the storm system's cold front as it crosses the Lower Mississippi Valley, the National Weather Service warned.

Parts of upstate New York saw 3 feet (0.9 meters) or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Sunday afternoon.

A fire truck, several tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles overturned west of Salina, Kansas. Rigs also jackknifed and went into ditches, state Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner said.

He posted a video showing his boots sliding across the highway blacktop like an ice-skating rink.

"We are in it now,” Gardner said as he drove to the scene of an accident. Online, he begged for prayers and warned that some roadways were nearly impassable.

Freezing rain in Wichita, Kansas, sent authorities to multiple crashes in the morning, and police urged drivers to stay home if possible and watch out for emergency vehicles.

Governors in neighboring Missouri and nearby Arkansas declared states of emergency. Whiteout conditions threatened to make driving dangerous to impossible, forecasters warned, and heighten the risk of becoming stranded.

"Please stay off the roads. Crews are seeing too many vehicles out and sliding off," Missouri’s transportation department said on the social platform X.

The Kansas City International Airport temporarily halted flight operations in the afternoon due to ice. Dozens of flights were delayed, including a charter jet transporting the Kansas City Chiefs, before the runways reopened.

"Work will continue overnight to keep the airfield clear," Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a message on X.

Stores in Wichita were filled with shoppers stocking up on groceries in advance of the storm, and warming centers opened in churches and libraries.

Several businesses closed across the Kansas City area, and the school district in suburban Independence, Missouri, said it might need to cancel classes for one or more days.

"Get where you're going now & stay put. If you must travel, consider packing a bag & staying where you're headed,” the Missouri Department of Transportation said in a message on X.

The agency warned Friday that a shortage of workers could hamper the ability to clear roads.

In Columbus, Ohio, crews treated major roadways with anti-icing liquids.

"It will be a major headache," said Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. "The storm not only has the snow threat to it but the ice threat."

Power outages could be significant particularly south of the Kansas City area, Kines said.

Starting Monday the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) below normal as the polar vortex stretches down from the high Arctic.

In Chicago on Saturday, temperatures hovered in the teens (minus 7-10 Celsius) and around zero in Minneapolis (minus 18 C), while dropping to 14 below (minus 25 C) in International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian border.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Friday evening ahead of the storm and encouraged residents to vote early on Saturday ahead of the state’s special elections Tuesday in a statement on X.

Similar declarations were issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and multiple cities in central Illinois.

"This is the real deal," meteorologist John Gordon said at a press conference in Louisville, Kentucky. "Are the weather people blowing this out of proportion? No."

Officials in Annapolis asked residents to remove vehicles from emergency snow routes. The historic state capital near the Chesapeake Bay also announced plans to open several garages Sunday for free parking.

The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches (about 20 to 30 centimeters) of snow for the Annapolis area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend.

In Baltimore, an extreme weather alert was issued instructing agencies to provide shelter and assistance for those in need. City officials said wind chills were expected to dip to 13 degrees Fahrenheit (-10.56 degrees Celsius) overnight Saturday and remain in the teens through Tuesday.

In Louisiana, crews were racing to find a manatee that was spotted in Lake Pontchartrain before the cold temperatures hit. The manatee was first seen New Year's Eve in the Mandeville area.

While manatees are common in the area during the summer, winter sightings are a concern since they can begin to experience cold stress symptoms when the temperature falls below 68 degrees (20 Celsius).

"We are doing everything we can to get our hands on this animal," said Gabriella Harlamert, stranding and rehab coordinator for Audubon Aquarium Rescue in New Orleans.