CNN
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Brutally cold Arctic air over the eastern two-thirds of the United States is opening the door for a powerful winter storm that will take a somewhat unusual path through the South with snow and ice.

The storm will strike just days after the most devastating storm of the season so far, which killed at least four people, caused hundreds of accidents and caused hundreds of thousands of power outages.

As of Tuesday morning, about 200,000 homes and businesses from Missouri to Virginia were still without power and dealing with dangerously cold temperatures, according to PowerOutage.us, even in the coldest month of the year.

These unusually cold temperatures, which will reach deep into the South, will allow the new storm to leave snow and ice in Texas and other parts of the region.

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

In North Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, snow could begin before sunrise Thursday and continue into Thursday night. Snow could last until after sunrise in southern Oklahoma and Arkansas, but once it starts it will likely last until Friday morning.

A large area of ​​3 to 6 inches of snow is possible from North Texas to Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas.

When snow begins, temperatures will be around 20°C in northern Texas and 10°C in parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Most locations will have difficulty reaching high temperatures above freezing through the afternoon, so more snow could stick to the ground instead of melting on contact.

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.

Some sleet could mix with snow at times in the Dallas area Thursday as temperatures hover around or just above freezing. This could limit the amount of snow in the subway, but could also create dangerous conditions as ice enters the busy area. Mixed precipitation will be of much greater concern on Thursday south of the snow area in places like Waco, Texas.

The precipitation pattern for Waco and surrounding locations will alternate between snow, freezing rain and rain throughout Thursday, resulting in very messy and slippery conditions.

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.

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. But exactly who will get snow, ice or mostly rain — and how much — is still incredibly difficult to determine. Small changes in the storm’s direction could completely change the outcome.

Some areas could initially see snow but then turn into an icy mix as warmer air enters the area, while other places may start to see rain or an icy mix and gradually turn into snow.

Weather models Tuesday suggest snow could spread into parts of Arkansas and Tennessee overnight Thursday, while a mix of snow and sleet could impact northern Mississippi and Alabama. There could be some snow in far northern Georgia on Friday and freezing rain could occur in Atlanta.

But again, exactly where the storm spreads and how much cold air is available will make the difference between whether Atlanta faces freezing rain, snow or just plain rain.

What the storm does beyond Friday remains an even bigger question mark that should become clearer as it organizes and strengthens late Wednesday and Thursday.

There are currently two weekend scenarios. In the first case, the storm moves further east and flows into the Atlantic off the southeast coast. This would bring wintry weather to the Carolinas and perhaps some areas further north Friday evening and Saturday.

In the second scenario, the storm tracks east before curving north, hugging the Atlantic coast and strengthening just off the Mid-Atlantic coast. This could trigger wintry chaos across parts of the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic Friday night and Saturday, bringing snow to portions of the populous I-95 corridor in the Northeast on Saturday.