Two consecutive winter storms have put the Midwest and South on high alert as heavy snow, ice and freezing rain that began a trek across the country on Wednesday show no signs of abating until late next week.

The current storm system threatens up to 32 million people with temperatures that may dive below -20 degrees Fahrenheit, and it could leave a six-inch layer of ice on streets and branches, according to multiple weather forecasts.

Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma have declared states of emergency. The storm, large enough to be seen from space, may also leave up to three feet of snow in Minnesota, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Forecasters warn that freezing temperatures may cause slushy, rain-soaked snow to freeze and build up on surfaces for days, causing problems for cleanup crews and residents—including commuters on the I-80 corridor in Virginia and Maryland.

“This will be the worst ice storm for the United States since January 2009 and will affect many of the same areas as that storm,” says Jesse Ferrell, an Accuweather.com storm chaser. “Every few years there is a blockbuster ice storm somewhere in the U.S. and these storms are no stranger to the South Central region.”

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the 2009 winter storm was the 15th costliest on record, affecting the Southeast, South Central, East and Midwest U.S. regions and causing $565 million in insured losses.

The Weather Channel blames the ongoing wintry mix on cold air from Canada colliding with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Weather Service says that half an inch of sleet has already accumulated in Fort Smith, Ark.,

Along with snow and ice, the storm also brought darkness—widespread power outages have been reported, such as the more than 260,000 people without power around the Dallas area on Friday.

“With a major storm that affects a large area of our territory, power restoration for all customers could take between five to seven days to complete, with the majority of customers being back in service much sooner than that,” Brady Aldy, transmission and distribution operations director for Entergy Arkansas Inc. Energy told Accuweather.

After the current retires, a second one will bring snow back to the same areas on Friday and Saturday and spear across the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and the Northeast from Sunday through Monday, affecting Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Winter storms caused $38 million in insured losses in 2012, down from $2 billion in 2011, says Munich Re. The I.I.I. says the storm category has caused more than $1 billion in average annual losses from 1992-2011. Overall, the I.I.I. says annual winter storm losses have nearly doubled since the 1980s.

Special Reports /

Winter Storms Bring Ice, Low Temps to Much of the Country

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