"Midwest Braces for Powerful Winter Storm and Polar Vortex Cold Snap"

A cross-country winter storm is expected to bring blizzard conditions and severe weather to nearly half of the US, with heavy snowfall from Missouri to Michigan and severe thunderstorms from Texas through the Carolinas. Major cities in the Northeast may miss accumulating snow, but the Great Lakes region could see double-digit snowfall accumulations and blizzard conditions. The storm has already caused blizzard conditions in the Pacific Northwest and a deadly avalanche in California. Millions of residents from the Plains through the Great Lakes are under winter weather alerts, and areas in the South are at risk of damaging winds and tornadoes. Behind the storm, arctic air will bring the coldest temperatures of the season, with questions remaining about its staying power.