Powerful winter storm hits eastern half of the US

Blizzard conditions, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, heavy rain and bitter cold is lashing parts of the eastern US, as more than 70 million people are under winter weather alerts Friday.

The massive storm is only one piece in a very active weather pattern. Multiple weather hazards were impacting the country Friday morning, and the National Weather Service issued some kind of weather alert for every state.

Everything from blizzard warnings to tornado warnings were in effect early Friday as the massive storm worked its way across the eastern half of the US. Wind alerts stretch nearly 2,000 miles from Texas to New England, while flood alerts span from the mid-Atlantic to Northeast.  

If you're just reading in now, here's what you should know:

• Snow and blizzard conditions: Snow was forecast Friday to once again bury portions of the Midwest as a powerful storm tracks through the region Friday and Saturday. The combination of heavy snow and strong winds could make travel dangerous and even impossible in some areas, especially through Friday night. Whiteout conditions are possible from Iowa to Michigan, and people may even find themselves stuck in a blizzard. Iowa is one of the states where blizzard conditions were expected Friday.
• Severe thunderstorms: While the northern side of the storm will deliver snowy and windy conditions, severe thunderstorms were forecast Friday on the southern side — including for a significant portion of the South and portions of the mid-Atlantic. More than 5 million people across portions of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi were under a tornado watch as intense thunderstorms rumbled across the South Friday morning.
• Flooding: Another bout of rain was forecast to fall on the already-soaked Northeast Friday, threatening to trigger disruptive and damaging coastal flooding in several of the region's major cities through Saturday. More than seven million people were under coastal flood warnings along swaths of the Northeast Friday, including residents of Philadelphia and parts of New York, where Nassau and Suffolk Counties could be overwhelmed with up to three feet of coastline flooding.
• Travel trouble: The number of flight delays and cancellations is ticking up as the Midwest and South are experiencing messy conditions due to the storm.
• Preparations across the US: The mayor of Buffalo, New York, says the area is prepared for this weekend's winter weather — and they're not expecting the type of storm the city dealt with in late 2022, when dozens died. In Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency. And former President Donald Trump’s campaign on Friday canceled three out of the four in-person campaign events he was scheduled to hold just days before the Iowa caucuses due to extreme weather in the state.

Nearly 400,000 customers across the country are without power on Friday evening, according to poweroutage.us, which tacks, records and aggregates power outages across the United States.

The Great Lakes area is hit the hardest with more than 234,500 customers without power and Michigan accounts for more than half of that with 127,970 customers in the dark. 

Here's the region-by-region look of outages as of 9:30 p.m. ET:

• Great Lakes: 234,500+
• Mid-Atlantic: 84,000+
• South: 33,100+
• Southeast: 21,900+
• Pacific: 12,900+
• Midwest: 7,000+
• New England: 3,500+
• Mountain: 1,700+

Back-to-back storms have hammered the Midwest with heavy snow this week. For Des Moines, Iowa, the one-two punch has resulted the snowiest week since 1942.

The early-week storm brought a foot of snow to the city, while the late-week storm has totaled about nine inches. Combined, Des Moines has seen 21.3 inches of snow since Monday.

Where weather conditions stand now: The snow is tapering off this evening, but wind gusts of 30 to 45 mph will continue tonight and all day Saturday. A blizzard warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday due to continued blowing snow which will create white-out conditions.

Temperatures in Des Moines will remain in the single digits tonight and much of Saturday before dropping below zero Saturday afternoon. Once temperatures drop below zero they will remain there for all of Sunday and Monday — just in time for the 2024 Iowa caucuses, which are expected to be the coldest ever. Wind chills across the state will be as cold as -30 to -45 degrees this weekend into early next week.

Ahead of the incoming severe winter weather, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency.

Sanders also activated the state’s National Guard to assist with any weather operations alongside state police, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

What to expect from the forecast: Bitter cold sweeping through the middle of the country will impact Arkansas by Sunday through the middle of next week.

Temperatures will struggle to make it past the teens and low 20s for afternoon highs. For most of the state, wind chills will be below zero and in northern parts of the state as cold as negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Snow is expected to impact the state beginning late Sunday afternoon and lasting through Monday. Widespread amounts of four to six inches are expected, with isolated amounts closer to 10 inches possible.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign on Friday canceled three out of the four in-person campaign events he was scheduled to hold just days before the Iowa caucuses due to extreme weather in the state.

Trump canceled both rallies scheduled for Saturday in Sioux City and Atlantic, and is now holding a tele-rally featuring Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in the evening. 

As of now, Trump is still scheduled to hold one in-person rally on Sunday in Indianola. His campaign canceled the second rally he was slated to hold in Cherokee and will instead hold a tele-rally with Iowa State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann. 

Other candidates have also had to cancel campaign events leading up to the caucuses because of extreme weather in the state.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines is warning of "treacherous driving" conditions as well as possible "white-out conditions" as winds become stronger.

"Travel is highly discouraged!" the weather agency said Friday on X.

Winter storms are bringing severe weather to several parts of the US this weekend — including the kind of brutal cold that can cause frostbite.

Frostbite happens when the skin and the tissue under the skin freezes, which can happen much more quickly than you might imagine. It can cause blood clots, gangrene, and long-lasting damage to muscles, tendons, nerves and bones.

The cause: Frostbite is affected by both the outside temperature and the wind chill factor. As the speed of the wind increases, our bodies cool at a faster rate, causing the skin temperature to drop. Higher altitudes can also increase the speed at which skin can freeze.

The National Weather Service has created a wind chill chart that shows the time it might take to develop frostbite at varying temperatures and wind speed. It shows that your skin would freeze in a scant five minutes if you were out in minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 31.7 degrees Celsius) with a wind speed of just over 25 miles per hour.

Risk factors: You are more susceptible to frostbite if you smoke, take medications called beta-blockers, have poor blood supply to the legs, or have diabetes or Raynaud syndrome, a condition in which strong emotions or cold temperatures cause blood vessels to spasm and block blood flow to extremities.

Older people and people who live outside without proper clothing, heating and food are also at high risk, as are hikers and hunters who aren’t properly clothed and stay outdoors too long.

Here's more on how to avoid frostbite.

There are now more than 2,000 flight cancellations in the US, according to FlightAware data.

Last year, there were only three days when more than 2,000 flights were canceled, FlightAware data show, making today the fourth worst day for flight cancellations in the last 12 months. It is the most flights cancelled since une 2023.

The vast majority of the cancellations are weather-related, though the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a piece of one plane flew off mid-flight is also contributing to the disruptions.

Chicago is the hardest-hit area, with O’Hare and Midway airports leading the way with cancellations. 

Southwest has the most cancellations – more than 400, or 10% of its flights, according to FlightAware. It does not fly the 737 Max 9 and thus is not impacted by the FAA-mandated grounding. 

In addition to the cancellations, 4,700 flights have been delayed, FlightAware data show. 

The mayor of Buffalo, New York, says the area is prepared for this weekend's winter weather — and they're not expecting the type of storm the city dealt with in late 2022, when dozens died.

The forecast: The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Buffalo and the surrounding area from 10 a.m. ET Saturday through to 3 p.m. ET Sunday.

The NWS said heavy lake-effect snow and very strong winds are expected. Blizzard conditions will be possible at times, especially late Saturday night and Sunday morning, according to the winter storm warning.

Preparations: Following the deadly 2022 storm, city leaders faced tough questions about their handling of storm preparations and the disaster response. Mayor Byron Brown said Buffalo is prepared for this new system. Its snow plan will be in full effect, and the city's emergency manager has met with different city departments.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop dropping off migrants from the southern border during the intense ongoing winter storm.

“While action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves,” Pritzker wrote. “Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state.”

Pritzker warned that sending migrants to Chicago this weekend could potentially cost lives.

“Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals,” he said in the letter. “Hundreds of children’s and families’ health and survival are at risk due to your actions.”

CNN has reached out to Abbott’s office for comment.