The impending winter storm is set to begin across the south-central U.S. on Friday.

A whopper snowstorm is expected to bring “life-threatening cold air” and dangerous travel conditions across a large swath of the United States this weekend.

Impacts from the snow and ice could cause power outages, widespread travel shutdowns and school closures. Following the storm, frigid temperatures will prolong the impacts of the snow and ice. “Potentially hundreds of thousands of people may go without electricity and heat for days,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.

The National Weather Service released a winter storm watch at 12:26 p.m. on Thursday valid from Sunday 3 a.m. until Monday 6 p.m. for Passaic, Hudson, Bergen, Essex and Union counties.

The National Weather Service issues a litany of notices before and during inclement weather events. They can be important signals on how to respond.

On Thursday at 12:38 p.m. the National Weather Service released a winter storm watch valid from Sunday 7 a.m. until Monday 7 p.m. for Southern Herkimer, Southern Fulton, Northern Saratoga, Northern Warren,

A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Norman at 10:12 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Future games will need to be held at higher altitudes, and spread over multiple venues in order to adapt to a changing climate, new research suggests.