Deep freezes are unusual in Arlington, near the nation's capital, so authorities advised people to wrap pipes or leave water flowing a trickle to avoid freezing and cracking: "Temperatures will dip this week. Consider the pipes."
By Monday, the snow that began Sunday in southern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas was expected to spread to Arkansas, Missouri, the Tennessee Valley, and the southern Appalachians.
According to AccuWeather, almost a foot of snow might fall in some places. By late Sunday, a potentially hazardous ice band was expected to have expanded from southeastern Oklahoma and Texas into southern Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee by Monday morning.
State officials in the South urged their citizens to bundle up for the frigid weather. To provide utility trucks and those hauling vital supplies more leeway to react, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders preemptively proclaimed a state of emergency.
On Sunday, Governor Greg Abbott was quoted as saying, "Texans are strongly encouraged to take precautions in order to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their homes."
In Jackson, Mississippi's capital, officials prepared for frigid weather. Cold snaps caused pipes to rupture in 2021 and 2022, lowering city water pressure. Jackson's interim water system manager, Ted Henifin, told WAPT-TV that personnel were ready to fix broken pipes.
Buffalo was under assault in the Northeast, postponing a Sunday NFL playoff game. A lake-effect snow band will drop 1 to 2 feet throughout much of the area, and some areas might get 3 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The meteorological agency predicted near-blizzard conditions with 50-mph winds.
"Travel will be very difficult to impossible at times with deep snow cover on roads," the alert warned. "Widespread blowing snow will reduce visibility to near zero."