The National Weather Service’s extreme cold warning is in effect from Friday evening until midday Saturday, while the water storm watch follows from dawn Sunday until early evening Monday.

The Lehigh Valley could get anywhere from 8 to 21 inches of snow this weekend during the biggest snowstorm to hit the area in years, forecasters said Thursday morning. The region will be under a winter storm watch from 1 a.

Mid-January is living up to its frigid reputation this Martin Luther King Jr. Day as cold takes hold across the eastern half of the nation.

Forecasters on Tuesday expressed fears that an ice storm arriving late this week and into the weekend could weigh down power lines, sending them crashing and causing widespread power outages. Temperatures will be slow to warm in many areas, meaning ice that forms on roads and sidewalks might stick around, forecasters say.

Be prepared for some colder nights.

Half the U.S. population will likely see some effect from the sprawling storm that will move across the country this weekend, meteorologists said.

An “impactful” winter storm could be headed for West Virginia for the weekend of Jan. 24-25, 2026, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston.

Over 175 million people face heavy snowfall, power outages, and travel disruption as sub-zero temperatures are forecast.

One meteorologist warns that “the main ingredients” are fitting into place for a disruptive winter storm later this week.