States across the country are expected to be affected by icy rain and winter storms that could delay travel and blanket roads with ice and snow from Texas to New York, according to forecasts by Accuweather.com.
Forecasters are expecting the southern plains and central region of the country to be hit the hardest, predicting an inch of ice in some areas, Reuters reported. Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma should expect to see freezing rains Thursday to Friday.
Arkansas energy officials were preparing for power outages that may last days due to the forecasted inch of ice, according to Reuters.
An Accuweather.com forecaster said central Kentucky will also see a mix of snow and ice, dropping temperatures which will spread to southern Ohio on Thursday night and early Friday morning.
Texas, which saw 80-degree weather in the beginning of the week, is experiencing temperatures close to freezing with snow and ice expected to start over night, Accuweather.com reported.
"In some locations, a glaze of ice may span several days and last into the weekend," Accuweather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski wrote. "Enough ice can accumulate on trees and utility lines in these areas over several days to cause blocked roads and regional power outages."
Even California and Oregon will deal with record-setting low temperatures throughout the weekend that will freeze citrus and other crops growing in the area, which could cause a major threat to the agriculture business, Accuweather.com said.
Due to Arctic air coming in from the west and plains this week, California crops, including vegetable and citrus fruits, will suffer frost and freeze which will damage the crops, Accuweather.com reported.
According to AccuWeather.com Western Weather Expert Ken Clark, "It is not so much that it has never gotten this cold in the region before, but rather it rarely gets this cold this early in the winter season."
Northern states from Missouri to New York will see more snow than ice with regular winter snow making landfall Thursday night, Reuters reported.
The National Weather Service released a winter storm warning forecasting sleet and ice leading many communities in southwest Missouri to cancel several events, Reuters reported. The area will receive about four to eight inches of snow through Friday.
"It's unfolding as we speak," weather service meteorologist Andy Foster in Springfield, Missouri, told Reuters. "We're going to see widespread precipitation. This evening, we will see travel conditions severely impacted."
