Welcome to the News Hour. More than half of the nation is bracing for what's expected to be an historic weekend winter storm. One posing dangerous travel conditions, thousands of canceled flights, likely power outages and serious risks of hypothermia.

Between now and Monday, the storm will span more than 2,000 miles from Texas to New England, pummeling

more than two dozen states along the way with a combination of freezing rain, ice, and snow.

Across much of the country, salt trucks are stocking up and snow plows stand at the ready.

Many states are pre-treating roads ahead of what's expected to be a massive

and menacing winter storm. At least a dozen states have already declared weather emergencies.

No state will be immune from feeling the effect of Mother Nature's wrath on this weekend.

What is being predicted right now, whether it's a foot of snow or even a little bit more, would be one of the biggest snowfalls that our city has seen in years.

Forming today across the central plains, the storm will trudge thousands of miles across the country before arriving in Maine by Sunday.

More than a foot of snow could fall in places in the north. The south will see freezing rain and sleet.

Almost 180 million Americans are under winter watches and warnings.

And it'll be significant...

The chief meteorologist for Accueather.

There are many communities that are not typically used to dealing with this magnitude of snow and ice

that are going to be having to contend with that.

Setting the stage, Arctic air that is pushing even further south, putting more than 200 million

Americans under alerts for extreme cold. With wind chill tonight, it will feel below zero

everywhere from the Texas Panhandle to the Midwest and New England. You better bundle up. You'll be experiencing minus 40 to minus 50 degree wind chills.

Much of the country will stay below freezing well into next week, meaning the snow and ice will not melt.

That could strain electric grids and lead to widespread power outages.

The storm is also expected to paralyze travel.

Nearly 2,000 flights across the country were either delayed or canceled today in advance of the storm.

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