Millions of Americans from New Mexico to the Carolinas are bracing for a potentially catastrophic winter storm that could topple trees and power lines and knock out power for days, while Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible, forecasters say.
Winter weather alerts stretch from Arizona and Montana in the West to the Carolinas and Maine on the Eastern Seaboard.
The storm, which began early Friday and continues through the weekend, is also projected to bring heavy snow and all types of wintry precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet. An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast and continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas before heading northeast, forecasters said…