What to know as snow, freezing rain and bitter cold heads through much of the US

A major winter storm began Saturday in the central U.S. and was forecast to move east over the next several days, producing heavy snow, significant ice and frigid temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. Here is what to know about the storm, which is expected to affect millions in the eastern two-thirds of the country: Major winter storm sets up A large system made landfall along the West Coast on Friday afternoon, bringing rain to the Pacific Northwest with snow expected in the Cascade Mountains, according to meteorologists. “This could lead to the coldest January for the U.S. since 2011,” AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said Friday, noting that there could be up to a week or more of “temperatures that are well below historical average.” The biggest drop below normal was likely to be centered over the Ohio Valley, but significant and unusual cold will extend south to the Gulf Coast, said Danny Barandiaran, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. “Just because the globe is warming doesn’t mean these cold snaps are going away.” Weather may be triggered by a fast-warming Arctic The brutal weather may be spurred in part by a fast-warming Arctic, a reminder that climate change gooses weather extremes, said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast director at the private firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research.