CNN
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A devastating winter storm will soon blanket the South with snow, ice and rain, while the eastern two-thirds of the United States grapples with the coldest air of the season.

Unusually cold temperatures have dropped deep in the South and will cause the storm to spread a few inches of snow and dangerous ice across a nearly 1,400-mile stretch of the South from North Texas to the coast of North Carolina, causing severe to extreme impacts in one The region could be less adapted to winter weather this year.

About 80,000 homes and businesses from Missouri to Virginia were still without power Wednesday morning following the latest winter storm, according to PowerOutage.us. Some have been without power since Sunday, enduring dangerous temperatures that are frigid even in the coldest month of the year.

Spotty winter weather caused by the new storm begins Wednesday evening in West Texas with light snow and freezing drizzle as the storm organizes. Thursday will be the most impactful day for winter weather for much of the Southern Plains as the storm reaches its peak.

Snow and sleet could begin around sunrise Thursday across North Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and continue through Thursday night. Some freezing rain could mix in during the afternoon as temperatures briefly rise to just above freezing.

A similar mix will begin Thursday morning in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Increased mixing will mean the amount of snow will be slightly lower than originally forecast, but will also create dangerous conditions as a larger population will be supplied with ice.

Any amount of ice is dangerous; just a thin layer – even a tenth of an inch – can turn paved areas into ice skating rinks, causing people to slip and vehicles to spin out of control, as happened in the central U.S. over the weekend.

According to the Winter Storm Severity Index, parts of Texas and Oklahoma are expected to experience at least moderate impacts from the storm given the threat of snow and ice. In some areas, this storm could have severe or even extreme impacts, causing significant disruption to daily life and dangerous travel conditions.

Cold temperatures will increase electricity demand in Texas, but grid conditions are expected to be normal, said ERCOT – the operator responsible for the state’s power grid in a weather advisory issued Sunday. During 2021’s devastating winter storm and prolonged freeze, the state’s power grid failed, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 people.

Rain and perhaps a few embedded thunderstorms will drench Central and South Texas, including Austin and Houston, on Thursday. Flooding is possible, particularly along the Texas coast, where severe thunderstorms that spring to life just offshore could slowly move ashore.

The storm continues to move east Thursday evening and Friday, bringing messy winter weather to much of the South. Small shifts in track are still possible and could alter snow and ice results.

The highest amounts of snow will be in the far northeast from Texas and southeast Oklahoma to Tennessee and the southern Appalachians. Several inches of snow could fall in this area, eclipsing half a foot of snow in places from central Arkansas to the southern Appalachians.

Northern parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia could see 3 inches or more of snow Thursday night into Friday night. Some of these areas could initially see snow, but turn into an icy mix as warmer air moves into the area.

This will likely be the case in Atlanta, which hasn’t seen an inch of snow in nearly seven years but has a moderate chance of that with this storm. Precipitation will begin as snow early Friday morning, but will mix with freezing rain in the afternoon into evening as temperatures rise to near freezing.

Precipitation will quickly expand eastward Friday evening as the storm approaches the Atlantic coast and a mix of snow and ice will reach the Carolinas. Charlotte, North Carolina, hasn’t recorded any measurable snow — at least 0.1 inches — in nearly two years, but the snow drought is expected to end this weekend.

Early forecasts suggested the storm could bring significant amounts of snow to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by the weekend, but that scenario appears less likely. Still, a separate storm moving south from Canada could join the southern storm in moving moisture north and spreading precipitation to much of the East.

A rapid snowfall totaling 1 to 3 inches or less is possible across much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Friday night into early Saturday morning. On Saturday morning, the storm from the east will quickly subside, leaving behind gusty winds, especially near the coast.

CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa contributed to this report.