A severe winter storm that is forecast to bring extremely cold and treacherous conditions to a vast area of the US began on Saturday morning.
There were reports of freezing rain, snow and sleet stretching from New Mexico to Tennessee.
The storm is forecast to last several days. In addition to the snowfall, which is forecast to reach from Arizona to Maine, the National Weather Service also warned of ice accumulation because of freezing rain. The treacherous rain could affect swathes of the South and Mid-Atlantic, with forecasters warning of “catastrophic impacts” in places, including long power outages and roads rendered impassable.
Before the storm, much of America made frenzied preparations for a weekend of intense winter weather. Government officials urged people to stay home over nearly half the nation. At least 18 states and the district of Columbia have declared states of emergency.
More than 9,000 flights across the US set to take off over the weekend have been cancelled.
Forecasters say damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.
Ice and sleet that hit northern Texas overnight were moving towards the central part of the state on Saturday, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said.
“Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills are spreading into the area and will remain in place into Monday,” the agency said on X. Low temperatures will be mostly in the single digits for the next few nights, with wind chills as low as minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 degrees Celsius).