LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Millions of Americans are on high alert as a massive winter storm prepares to unleash brutal cold temperatures, heavy snowfall and dangerous ice across multiple states this weekend.
The storm is forecast to dump more than a foot of snow in some parts of the country, with the severe weather expected to stretch more than 2,000 miles from Texas to New England. States including New York, Washington D.C. and Atlanta are bracing for major weather impacts.
WATCH | Red Cross deploys Southern Nevada volunteers ahead of storm
National weather experts predict more than half of all Americans will experience subzero windchills in the next week as the storm affects two-thirds of the country.
Red Cross deploys volunteers ahead of storm
The American Red Cross of Southern Nevada has deployed volunteer Linda Gong to Houston, Texas, ahead of the storm to assist with disaster relief efforts.
We previously told you about Gong's volunteer efforts during the catastrophic floods that hit the Pacific Northwest, causing mass evacuations. At the time, the American Red Cross said that Gong would serve as an Emergency Response Vehicle Driver.
"A lot of what she does also is feeding, so ensuring people have their nutritional requirements met, as well as acknowledging some of those dietary restrictions," said Rachel Flanagan with the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada.
Flanagan said the Southern Nevada chapter has sent volunteers to just about every large-scale disaster and tends to be ahead of the curve as a ready chapter.
"We have a lot of volunteers that have that ability to deploy readily because we have fewer of those incidents," Flanagan said.
Travelers rush west to escape incoming storm
There has been a mad rush to the West Coast as people try to escape the incoming storm. Arthur Disick and his wife left Cleveland, Ohio, five days ago and finally made it to Las Vegas on Friday.
"It's horrible. That's why we're here. We took a week and a half off to visit the desert states because we know that there's a winter storm coming," Disick said.
The couple is concerned about their return trip home.
"We are flying back when the storm will be ending, so we don't know what to expect," Disick said. "We might be on the tail of it and we'll be fine, or we're going to get stuck somewhere, I don't know."
Other travelers were fortunate enough to make it to airports without delays or cancellations, though they expect different conditions for their return trips.
"It was a breeze getting in. Going home is going to be a whole different story," one traveler said.
For those who made it west of Texas before the bitter cold hits, they say they're enjoying the warmer weather but remain uncertain about what to expect when they're ready to head home.
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