Deep Freeze Continues as Ice Storms Now Loom

The ice storm cometh. An impending winter storm’s colossal size is sending shivers of worry down Americans’ spines. Before too long, the harsh wintry cold will produce true shivers.

The ice storm is expected to hit Michigan and the north and east of Missouri, stretching to southern Ontario and the mid-Atlantic this weekend and early next week, AccuWeather forecasts.

Freezing rain and drizzle, as well as sleet, are expected to pass from Buffalo, N.Y. to the New York metropolitan area late Sunday night and into Monday morning. The storm will likely proceed to Philadelphia and Washington.

Freezing rain, which is even more hazardous than sleet, will reportedly pour down all day in some regions but only last a few hours in others. Regardless, the freezing rain could cause traffic accidents.

“In many cases, the road or sidewalk appears wet, but in fact it can be covered with a thin sheet of ice, called clear ice or black ice,” said meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

A warehouse that caught fire in Chicago Tuesday has since been covered with ice by the U.S.’s recent blast of arctic air.

Northern Illinois and southern Michigan, in particular, are expected to bear the brunt of the severe ice storm. Rain will likely freeze when it hits the ground even in places with air temperatures above 32 degrees, said meteorologist Andy Mussoline.

The National Weather Service warned that one to three inches of snow might affect the East, reports NBC News.

The approaching storms are not the first of the season and they likely will not be the last. Earlier this week, 25-foot high ice shoves accumulated on the shore of Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin, reports local ABC-affiliate WBAY.

Next week’s overall temperature is expected to rise for several days following the storm, before dipping back down in early February, according to AccuWeather.