The National Weather Service (NWS) announced winter storm warnings for 26 states across the U.S. early Friday, with up to 14 inches of snow forecast for some parts of the country.

Why it matters

Snow can cause travel disruption and dangerous driving conditions.

Vulnerable populations, including young children and seniors, are at increased risk of health problems due to the dangers of freezing temperatures.

What you should know

States under winter storm warnings as of Friday morning included Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri and Montana.

Additionally, winter weather warnings were in place in states including Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

While snowfall amounts varied from state to state, the NWS said between 7 and 14 inches of snow accumulation was possible in the Bears Paw, Highwood, Little Belt and Snowy Mountains areas of Montana.

The NWS says a winter storm warning means “there is at least an 80 percent chance of severe winter weather conditions during the warning period.”

The service added that winter weather could impact road conditions and commutes. In some cases it was recommended to postpone the trip.

At the time of writing, all of Tennessee is under a winter storm warning, as are Arkansas and most of Kentucky.

Winter storm warnings were also in effect for northern Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina.

Winter weather warnings covered the majority of West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.

With the exception of the South, most of Texas was under either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory. A winter weather warning was in effect for the southern region of New Mexico, as was southwestern Pennsylvania.

What people say

Meteorologist Chris Smith wrote yesterday on X, formerly Twitter: “Winter weather across the Deep South this evening and into Friday. Heavy snow will fall from Oklahoma to Arkansas tonight.”

Meteorologist Stephen McCloud wrote on X on January 9th: “Winter storm warnings have now been issued for all of Middle Tennessee. 3-5 inches of snow (with higher amounts) likely and possibly some freezing rain.”

AccuWeather meteorologist Heather Zehr recounted Newsweek on Wednesday: “We expect three to six inches of snow and sleet to accumulate in Dallas, Texas, while Little Rock, Arkansas will only see three to six inches of snow. Two to four inches of snow is expected in Nashville, Tennessee.”

What happens next

While the duration varied from state to state, at the time of writing, the latest winter storm warnings were in effect until 5:00 p.m. Saturday.

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