A winter storm is forecasted to sweep across a 1,400-mile-long swath of the southern US starting Thursday, burying some states in up to a foot of snow.
The enormous path of the storm, dubbed Cora, spans 18 states from New Mexico to Virginia where the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm watches, warnings, and/or winter weather advisories.
One to six inches of snow could accumulate from central Texas through much of Tennessee and the southern Appalachians over then next two days.
‘Should six inches of snow fall in Dallas, it would be in the top-five snowfalls on record,’ AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin said.
But pockets of heavier snowfall up to 12 inches are possible from just north of Dallas to Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as eastern Tennessee and high elevations of western North Carolina, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Cora’s impact could stretch into the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, though storm conditions will be minor in these regions.
Temperatures have plunged well below average across the South, which will allow snow and ice to accumulate Thursday and Friday.
Widespread icing may be heavy enough to cause scattered power outages, as many states in the storm’s path are still working to restore electricity in the wake of Winter Storm Blair.
This wintery mess will create dangerous travel conditions across the region Thursday through Friday, including in and around the metro areas of Dallas-Ft. Worth, Little Rock, Nashville, Atlanta and Charlotte.
‘Persons should delay travel if possible. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility,’ the NWS advised.
As Winter Storm Cora barrels toward the southern US, nine states are closing schools, stocking up on supplies and preparing for dangerous roads
The storm is already delivering a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to western Texas this morning, and will spread east into northern Texas, Oklahoma, southern Kansas and western Arkansas as the day goes on, The Weather Channel reported.
‘Driving could be hazardous Thursday in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Little Rock and the Texas Hill Country,’ the channel added.
Wintry precipitation should taper off in Texas and Oklahoma by midday Friday, but snow will spread from the Mid-South region into Kentucky, Tennessee, far northern parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.
A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain could hit near and north of Interstate 20 from northern Louisiana to Georgia and South Carolina.
‘This could lead to treacherous travel throughout these areas, with some roads possibly becoming impassable, especially in hilly or mountainous terrain,’ meteorologists for The Weather Channel stated.
Travel will be hazardous in the cities of Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Huntsville, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville for at least part of Friday.
Roads may be slick in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes due to lighter snowfall, which will spread into the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast Friday night.
Heading into the weekend, the storm will move into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with areas of snow lingering near the Eastern Seaboard and in the Appalachians early Saturday.
By Thursday, driving could be hazardous in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Little Rock and the Texas Hill Country, The Weather Channel reported.
Wintery precipitation should taper off in Texas and Oklahoma by midday Friday, but snow will spread further east into Kentucky, Tennessee, northern Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and upstate South Carolina
Heading into the weekend, the storm will move into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with areas of snow lingering near the Eastern Seaboard and in the Appalachians early Saturday
Especially in the early morning, travel will be difficult from northern Georgia to parts of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.
As the weekend comes to an end, the storm will move offshore and into the Atlantic, but could track as far north as southern New England before doing so, according to AccuWeather.
Winter Storm Cora comes as the eastern US faces a blast of Arctic air that will send temperatures plummeting as low as 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit below average in the first two weeks of January.
The area most impacted by these frigid temps will be the northern Plains and Midwest to the interior Southeast.
Should six inches of snow fall in Dallas, it would be in the top-five snowfalls on record. A jogger trots on a snow covered road in Louisville, Kentucky on January 5
Winter Storm Cora comes just days after Winter Storm Blair brought heavy snow and ice to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. Pictured is a man moving snow in Shawnee, Kansas on January 5
Winter Storm Blair left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power in states from Missouri to Virginia. Cincinnati, January 6, 2025
As of Tuesday, the combined impact of the Arctic blast and Winter Storm Blair, which wreaked havoc on the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic this week, has already claimed the lives of at least six people.
The majority of these deaths were related to traffic accidents, but one victim was found frozen to death at a bus stop in Houston, Texas.
The storm left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power in states from Missouri to Virginia, and while most of them have had their electricity restored as of Thursday morning, Winter Storm Cora threatens to cause more outages.
Meanwhile, fast-moving wildfires are engulfing the Los Angeles area, triggered by a powerful Santa Ana windstorm that swept Southern California Tuesday.
More than 250,000 customers are out of power, and mandatory evacuations were ordered for more than 80,000 people Wednesday.
More than 1,400 firefighters are working to contain multiple blazes, but at this time, many of the fires remain zero percent contained, including the two largest: The Palisades fire and the Eaton fire, which have consumed a combined 27,800 acres.
