A major winter storm watch blankets much of the US South, Midwest, and Northeast, with heavy snow, sleet, and ice expected from the Southern Plains through the East Coast into the weekend. Forecasters warn of travel hazards, power outages, and widespread disruption. As Canadians, we know these systems can brush our borders, reminding us how interconnected our weather patterns remain—and how preparedness, community resilience, and quiet vigilance define winter living in the north.