50 million Americans under winter weather warnings, advisories; Texas braces for days of ice

Fifty million Americans were under winter weather watches and advisories Monday amid warnings of a "prolonged and potentially significant icing event" affecting at least 15 states.

A swath of the nation from Texas to Ohio and Tennessee was bracing Monday for days of treacherous travel conditions as an arctic cold front swept down into the southern Plains and Mid-South.

"The interaction of an arctic air mass and moisture will set the stage for an expansive area of dangerous travel conditions early in the week," National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Snell said. "Sleet and freezing rain accumulations are likely to create widespread hazardous travel conditions for several days in a row."

Icy developments:

►Total freezing rain amounts could become significant across parts of central Texas, southwest Oklahoma and central Arkansas.

►A three-day ice accumulation could exceed a half inch over parts of central Texas and Arkansas. Parts of Tennessee could see more than a quarter inch of ice.

►In addition to the potentially hazardous travel conditions, scattered tree damage and power outages are possible, the weather service warned.

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Heavy snow in West, Great Lakes

Heavy snow was forecast over parts of western Colorado mountains. Travel could be difficult at times for some of the highest mountain passes. Farther east, lake effect snow is likely downwind of the Great Lakes early this week. The heaviest amounts of over 6 inches are possible off Lake Superior and Lake Erie.

Snow was stretching lower than usual in the mountains of Southern California, and snow was falling Monday on Interstate 5 in Grapevine. The weather service said traffic was being escorted over the freeway because of hazardous conditions.

The low snow levels will likely cause travel problems Monday on Highway 14 and other major thoroughfares in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the weather service said.

Cold front will sweep east

Periods of light snow are possible throughout the Interior Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as a cold front pushes through by Tuesday. The region then faces several days of temperatures well below average: Washington, D.C., will see a low of 15 degrees on Saturday; Philadelphia will drop to 10 degrees and Boston has minus-6 degrees to look forward to this weekend.

Dallas-Fort Worth storm warning lasts into Wednesday

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a winter storm warning was put in place until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The weather service said mixed precipitation, primarily in the form of freezing rain and/or sleet was expected. "Significant impacts" to travel may begin as early as Monday afternoon and continue through at least Tuesday night, the weather service said. Elevated surfaces such as bridges and overpasses will be the first to become icy, slick and hazardous as temperatures hover around or below freezing.

"Those in the most impacted areas should consider completing last minute travel plans before midday today," the weather service office in San Antonio said. "Icy road conditions may deteriorate rapidly this afternoon."

Bitter cold blasts Midwest, Northwest

The cold air responsible for the icy forecast in the Mid-South also brought a frigid start to the workweek throughout the central U.S. and into some Western states, the weather service said. Temperatures were 20 to 30 degrees below average in some areas facing single-digit high temperatures from the central High Plains to the Upper Midwest on Monday.

"Gusty winds will also create dangerous wind chills, as low as 55 below zero in the northern Plains this morning," the weather service said.

Wind chill warnings and advisories have been issued from Oregon to Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm warnings abound: Days of ice from Texas to Tennessee