How much snow? Bomb cyclone in weekend forecast on East Coast.
Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY
Sat, January 31, 2026 at 4:31 PM UTC
3 min read
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As much of the United States still freezes, parts of the South are set to see snow and powerful winds with potential blizzard conditions in coastal areas.
A major winter storm warning is in effect from Georgia through Virginia, the National Weather Service said Saturday, Jan. 31. Heavy snow and gusty winds are expected from the southern Appalachians in Georgia through coastal regions of the Carolinas and southeastern Virginia.
Snowfall and wind gusts are forecast to be strongest in North Carolina, where forecasters have warned a bomb cyclone will cause dangerous conditions.
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Potential for snow inland could reach 8 to 12 inches, with snow drift from winds, the weather service said. Near the Outer Banks, the region could see gusts up to 70 mph, approaching hurricane-force winds, albeit with less snow but with warnings for coastal flooding.
“Now’s the time to hunker down,” Scott Kennedy, a weather service meteorologist in the agency’s Morehead City office, in North Carolina, told USA TODAY, adding snow already started to accumulate Saturday morning.
Later, the weather service forecasts that Arctic air is set to bring record cold temperatures and wind chills, near and below 0 degrees, to the Southeast through Tuesday.
More than 130 million people are under cold and winter storm alerts over the weekend, Brandon Buckingham, an AccuWeather meteorologist, said in a statement.
How much snow has fallen?
What is the weekend winter storm forecast?
The coastal cyclone is expected to bring moderate to heavy snow, along with high winds and possible blizzard conditions for the Carolinas through Saturday night, the weather service's Weather Prediction Center said in a forecast discussion. The Eastern Seaboard is set to experience high winds and coastal flooding.
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The core of the Arctic air is forecast to dive "unusually far south" into lower portions of the Southeast for the remainder of the weekend. By Sunday morning, southern Florida could see below-freezing temperatures.
Daily low temperatures are expected to be challenged or broken from the Mid-Atlantic southward through the weekend into early next week.
Elsewhere, the Plains and Great Lakes are set to have a mix of rain and snow on Jan. 31 into Feb. 1 with frigid temperatures.
How to stay safe in winter storms
If you have to go outside, make sure to wear waterproof boots and bundle up with loose layers, so air between them keeps you warm — plus a hat, scarf and gloves to retain body heat, according to the National Institute on Aging.
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You should also know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia that can be life-threatening, as Ready.gov explains.
If you have to drive, be sure to drive slower and be aware that black ice is difficult to see. Make sure to check to make sure the car is in proper condition; check fluid levels, windshield wipers and gas levels. Let someone know your timing and routes and keep a survival kit, just in case.
Gusty winds and heavy snow can also cause power outages, so prepare with extra supplies.
When it's time to get outside to shovel, make sure to take steps to do so safely. Snow shoveling can result in injury and heart attacks due to increased heart rate and blood pressure in the cold, according to the American Heart Association. USA TODAY has an explainer for when the storm passes.
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Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Melina Khan and Janet Loehrke of USA TODAY
(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How much snow? Forecast says bomb cyclone focuses fury on Carolinas.