(Image source from: ANI)

Dangerous wintry conditions gripped much of the central United States on Sunday as a severe storm moved east, affecting travel and work from Kansas City to Washington. The National Weather Service (NWS) said a winter storm warning was issued Sunday afternoon for about a dozen states from Kansas to New Jersey, but areas across the southern U.S. may be at risk of tornadoes and cold weather. According to CNN, more than 60 million people across the country are under a weather alert, and about 2,200 flight cancellations and more than 25,000 delays have been reported, according to air traffic monitoring site FlightAware. Strong winds from the first storm system of the year created blizzard conditions in Kansas and Missouri, and the eastern states were blanketed with several inches of snow. Kentucky Gov. Andy Bashir urged residents to "stay home" after reports of multiple vehicle accidents that closed major highways. The NWS also warned that up to half an inch of ice could accumulate in some areas and widespread tree damage from strong winds could lead to "prolonged power outages."

A mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow fell in Kansas early Sunday morning. Storm chaser Brian Enfinger told the X Show that the roads around Kansas City were "skating rinks." A video released by the Weather Channel shows cars sliding off icy highways and semi-trucks being knifed in Kansas, with more than a foot of snow forecast in some areas. "Tonight, an area of heavy snow will spread eastward across the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians, reaching the North Atlantic by Monday morning," the NWS said in an update. The Washington Post reported that up to 10 inches of rain could fall overnight Sunday into Monday in areas around Washington with "dangerous travel and closures." That could complicate the work of U.S. lawmakers who, under constitutional obligations, must gather at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to certify the winner of last year's presidential election. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Fox News Sunday: "Blizzard or not, we can't delay certification... We hope everyone will be there." The joint meeting will be Monday at 1 p.m. ( 1:00 p.m. Japan time).

Temperatures will drop to zero degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) in some places as the jet stream descends south. Mercury levels on the US Gulf Coast could drop as much as 10 degrees below seasonal levels. The NWS is forecasting severe thunderstorms in the Mississippi Valley by then. Another big problem is freezing rain and hail. Thick ice makes travel dangerous, can topple trees and down power lines. The NWS forecast 0.5 inches of freezing rain in the central Mississippi/Ohio Valley and warned of "prolonged power outages" that could leave millions of customers without power from Kansas to the central Appalachians. Conditions could be particularly dangerous in Appalachia, where a deadly tornado in late September devastated communities and damaged several southeastern states, including Kentucky. The new storm "will cause significant disruptions and hazardous conditions on our roads and could lead to significant power outages in the 24 hours before cold weather arrives in Kentucky," Gov. Andy Beshear said in an emergency meeting. The governors of Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia declared states of emergency and warned residents on social media to stay home.