The major storm is set to hit starting on Jan. 23 and will stretch into the weekend, spreading snow and ice from the southern Plains to the Northeast.

A Blizzard Warning has been issued for parts of south central and southwestern Minnesota along with northern Iowa as strong winds combine with light, fluffy snow to create near-zero visibility at times this afternoon.

A snow squall warning was released by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 1:16 p.m. in effect until 2:15 p.m. for Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties.

A sharp drop in temperatures could cause snow or ice to persist into next week, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter storm bringing icy temperatures will slam a massive stretch of the United States this week, with more than 175 million people facing the prospect of heavy snowfall, power outages and travel disruption.