Severe Weather & Disasters

As a major multi‑state winter storm threatens millions with snow, ice and extreme cold, the National Weather Service is issuing winter storm and extreme cold watches to signal elevated risk while timing and location are still being refined, with warnings to follow when confidence is high and preparations should be finishing. NWS officials stress that criteria are region‑specific (what counts as “extreme cold” in Georgia differs from North Dakota), offer local guidance — for example Dallas–Fort Worth advises insulating outdoor faucets, leaving indoor faucets dripping and locating the home shut‑off ahead of 0–28°F forecasts — and urge people to check their local NWS office by ZIP code and begin stocking fuel, winter survival kits and driving precautions when watches are posted.