A strong winter storm accompanied by arctic cold will bring “significant wintry weather” to about a dozen states in the middle of the country, from the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, this weekend, according to the Weather Prediction Center, with forecasters warning that in some Locations could see the heaviest snowfall in a decade or more.

The storm is expected to bring a severe mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain that is expected to disrupt travel and daily life with road closures, flight delays and power outages from Saturday into Monday.

Arctic air is expected to calm in its wake as the storm progresses, with some of the season’s coldest temperatures expected to persist for days.

Some state officials were already preparing for the worst on Friday.

In Missouri, the governor put the National Guard on standby and Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia declared a state of emergency days before the storm hit and urged people to avoid traveling Sunday.

Cities from Cincinnati to Chicago to St. Louis began pre-treating their streets and preparing warming centers.

The low pressure system will move into Denver Saturday evening, with up to an inch or two of snow expected to fall in the metro area overnight. The storm is expected to rapidly intensify as it leaves Colorado and moves into the Central Plains late Saturday.

“We’re on the weaker side, and then it quickly becomes a much stronger storm as it reaches Kansas and Nebraska,” said Zach Hiris, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Denver office.

Heavy snow caused by wind gusts exceeding 35 mph could lead to blizzard conditions across the Central Plains by Sunday morning. Whiteout conditions could make driving “dangerous to impossible” in some areas, the weather service warned.

The storm will continue its march eastward, reaching the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Sunday and the Mid-Atlantic region Sunday night into Monday.

At least 8 inches of snow is forecast for a region stretching between central Kansas and Indiana Saturday through Sunday, with additional snow showers possibly continuing into Monday.

The Weather Prediction Center said some of the most extreme conditions were likely in locations north of and along the Interstate 70 corridor that runs through St. Louis and Indianapolis.

The geographic extent of the storm was still taking shape Friday afternoon.

Rich Bann, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, said that while snow will likely continue south of the Great Lakes, “it may not need that big of a shift, and then Chicago may get more than we’re currently expecting.”

The Prediction Center also warned of “significant icing potential” across the Mid-South this weekend. Sleet and freezing rain could wreak havoc across eastern Kansas and the Ozarks, extending east into Tennessee and the lower Ohio Valleys.

“This rain freezes on contact and turns into glass – which sticks to the trees, power lines, roads, cars, car windows, everything,” Mr Bann said.

There is also a risk of icing in the southern Appalachians on Saturday night and Sunday.

Sunday through Monday, the storm is on track to cross the Appalachian Mountains and move into the Washington, D.C. area, as well as western Maryland, northern Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

“We’re expecting precipitation to begin Sunday and continue Sunday night into Monday before it’s all over,” Bann said.

The storm comes as the country is on the verge of experiencing what the National Weather Service is calling a “significant Arctic outbreak.” Temperatures are expected to fall to below average levels in areas east of the Rocky Mountains and as far south as the Gulf Coast and Florida, with cold weather continuing through mid-January.