U.S. Midwest and East Coast Threatened by Severe Winter Storm

The United States is preparing for yet another spell of extreme weather, after what was being described as a historic blizzard, hit the East Coast just earlier this week. According to the National Weather Service, a winter snowstorm will head east after bringing twelve inches of snow across the Midwest on Saturday. New England, which bore the brunt of the less-fierce than expected blizzard earlier on Monday, is also expected to receive at least one foot of snowfall.

AccuWeather forecaster Alex Sosnowski said that over 100 million people live within proximity of the storm, which is expected to gain intensity as it heads towards the East Coast. He warned that roads could get slippery as temperatures drop further. The new weather system is expected to disrupt flights all across the Midwest and East Coast for the second time this week. 1048 flights scheduled for Sunday have been canceled, from which 445 were set to leave from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

Earlier in the week, what was expected to be a raging blizzard ended up bypassing New Jersey and New York City, but resulted in 3 feet of snowfall in New England and in significant coastal flooding. Weather forecasters are warning that city officials should clear away large quantities of snow that are still scattered all around its low-lying coastal areas.

Saturday saw heavy rain and sleet from Kansas to Missouri, and snow in states towards the north and east of the country, as reported by the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to reach its peak in the North East on 2nd February, which is celebrated as Groundhog Day. According to tradition, it is on this day that a rat named Punxsutawney Phil comes out from his burrow in Pennsylvania to predict the end of winter after just six more weeks of snow and cold.

Once the storm blows out by Monday evening, much of the Midwest and East Coast can expect a significant drop in temperatures. The National Weather Service has warned single degree Fahrenheit temperatures for much of the whole week. Residents are preparing for the latest spell of cold weather.