[through gritted teeth] this sure is a fascinating era to have a special interest in cyclonic storms
Screenshot of the NWS weather statements map, accurate as of 3:30pm eastern time on 1/22/26.
If you live in one of the areas of this map that's colored in, you need to go to Weather.gov, search for your local weather station (type your town and state into the search bar at the top left), and read all of the weather statements that have been released for your area. And you need to keep checking them as the storm approaches, because things could change a lot in a short period of time.
There is an unprecedented winter storm that is going to hit well over half of the states in the USA between Friday (1/23/26) and Monday (1/26/26). The Polar Vortex -- an extremely cold and dry air mass that usually lives over the arctic circle -- is going to be stretching down to the Mississippi Valley, where it will encounter a large, humid air mass known as an Atmospheric River. The two will then form a winter storm that, depending on where you are, could drop anywhere from 1+ inch of ice to 12+ inches of snow.
This is a largely-unprecedented winter weather event, so uncertainty about specifics is very high. Listen to your local authorities -- The NWS, Town/City Governments, State Officials, etc -- about how to prepare best for this upcoming storm.
