The 12 cities that will see the worst damage from US winter storm

The storm, expected to begin Friday and last through Monday, is forecast to drop a foot or more of snow and catastrophic amounts of ice along its 1,500-mile path.

Texas and Oklahoma are among the first states expected to be hit by the storm, which could create dangerous road conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

The massive storm system is expected to bring a crippling ice storm and potentially around a foot of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, DC, New York and Boston over the weekend.

Here are the top 12 US cities set to be hit hardest by the impending winter storm, according to the Washington Post.

• Oklahoma City
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Little Rock
• Tupelo, Mississippi
• Nashville
• Cincinnati
• Pittsburgh
• Charlotte
• Richmond
• Washington, DC
• New York
• Boston

In North Carolina, the Greensboro Police Department warned residents to be thoughtful about where they choose to bunker down for the storm.

‘Please remember that whoever you hang out with on Saturday, you’re stuck with until at least Tuesday when the ice melts,’ the department wrote on X.

‘You’re either going to be besties or not. Choice is yours.’

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced that a snow emergency will go into effect at 9pm ET on Saturday.

‘It will remain in effect until roadway conditions improve,’ Parker said. ‘Please take this storm seriously, now is the time to prepare.’

Over 1,000 workers have been mobilized to start pre-treating roads.

‘[We have] over 600 pieces of equipment and over 30,000 tons of salt at the ready to make sure our roads are safe and passable for pedestrians, motorists, and of course our emergency responders,’ said Office of Clean and Green Initiatives Director Carlton Williams.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders activated 168 members of the National Guard to support police during the winter storm.

‘The Governor has ordered 168 Guardsmen to state active duty beginning today until weather conditions improve,’ the state National Guard wrote on X.

‘Guardsmen will support the Arkansas State Police around the clock at all Troop location areas around the state.’

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued guidance on how to prepare your home, vehicles and pets for the winter storm.

‘Your primary concerns at home or work during a winter storm are loss of heat, power, and telephone service, and a shortage of supplies if storm conditions continue for more than a day,’ NWS said.

The agency advised having flashlights, extra batteries, food and water supplies that do not require cooking or refrigeration, first-aid kits and emergency heat sources available.

For vehicles, the agency recommends ensuring all fluid levels are full, checking that your lights, heater, and windshield wipers are working, keeping your gas tank full, and having a winter storm survival kit in your car.

NWS advises moving all animals to sheltered areas or bringing pets inside, and ensuring they have plenty of food and water and a warm shelter.

Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a state of emergency ahead of the winter storm.

The nation’s capital is one of the top cities expected to be hit hardest by the severe weather.

‘We’ve officially declared a Snow Emergency and a State of Emergency in Washington, DC,’ Bowser wrote on X.

‘A Snow Emergency, which goes into effect Saturday at noon, means residents must move vehicles off of Snow Emergency Routes.’

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation posted a helpful yet hilarious warning about the winter storm.

‘In preparation for the winter storm, let’s review,’ the department advised. ‘Drip your faucets. Get your windshield scraper ready.’

The department then cheekily warned that it is not necessary to let animals into your homes.

‘THEY HAVE FUR. DON’T BRING THEM INSIDE,’ the department wrote, along with a picture of a snow-covered bison.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt activated the National Guard to help with the treacherous roadways in anticipation of the winter storm.

‘@GovStitt has authorized the activation and deployment of #OKGuard Stranded Motorists Assistance and Recovery Teams following a request by @okem in preparation for severe winter weather beginning today and lasting into the weekend,’ the state national guard wrote on X.

‘Guardsmen are being dispatched to Woodward, Weatherford, Ardmore, Vinita, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Durant where they will support the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in recovering and transporting stranded motorists to safety as directed by @OHPDPS.’

PJM Interconnected – the nation’s largest regional transmission organization – issued multiple alerts on Thursday warning of the power grid strain from the impending storm, WNEP reported.

‘This is a formidable arctic cold front coming our way, and it will impact our neighboring systems as much as it affects PJM,’ Senior Vice President of Operations Mike Bryson said.

‘We will be relying on our generation fleet to perform as well as they did during last year’s record winter peak.’

The supplier serves 67 million customers in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

Natural gas prices have soared over 60 percent due to the winter storm forecast, NBC News reported.

Demand for natural gas is set to surge because it is the most common way Americans heat their homes, driving prices higher.

‘Everybody is racing to their thermostat to crank up the heat all at once – there’s just a tremendous demand pull that happens,’ said Eli Rubin, a senior energy analyst at EBW AnalyticsGroup.

Rubin explained that households won’t feel the price increase immediately, but that the costs will eventually trickle down into their energy bills.

‘What happens with these huge price increases is that they’re absorbed slowly,’ Rubin said.

‘State regulatory commissions and your local utilities are not going to suddenly double the rate you’re paying for natural gas overnight – but you will be paying. They’re going to phase it in over time.’

Ted Cruz has once again become the subject of ruthless internet derision after he was spotted on a plane to California on Tuesday as a monster storm bears down.

A massive snowstorm is expected to blanket states across the country, including the Texas senator’s home state, where forecasters are predicting lows in the 10s on Saturday and Sunday night.

The Texas grid is vulnerable to the cold and lacks the gas supplies to cop when temperatures plunge. This was the case in 2021 when a deadly winter storm struck while Cruz was on vacation in Cancun.

As a potentially historic winter storm prepares to slam the US, meteorologists have warned that conditions could become so brutal that trees could start exploding.

Meteorologist Max Velocity said this week temperatures in the Midwest and Northern Plains are predicted to fall to 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit on Friday and Saturday, freezing the insides of local trees.

The phenomenon known as ‘frost cracking’ can literally cause trees to burst from the inside out as sap and water freeze and expand, building pressure against the bark.