A polar vortex is expected to bring snow and ice to 26 states and D.C., threatening travel with blizzard conditions and record-low temperatures.

Several states across the U.S. are under alert as the new storm system approaches. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri have severe weather alerts in effect through Friday, January 10. Meanwhile, Tennessee, northern Alabama, and parts of Indiana and Kentucky will remain under warnings through Saturday.

Nearly two-dozen states were under winter weather warnings from the National Weather Service as of early Monday.

The pattern had been predicted to form for several months, and weak La Niña conditions were finally officially met this week.

Nearly the entire state of Arkansas is under a winter storm warning until Friday night. Little Rock and Hot Springs are expecting around 6 inches of snow, with meteorologists urging people to delay any travel until conditions improve.

Parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas began to see snowfall on Thursday as Southern states stretching to the Carolinas brace for the storm to reach them on Friday.

West Virginia: In western Grant and western Pendleton counties, 6 to 10 inches of snow is possible. In western Greenbrier County, 2 to 7 inches is predicted. Northern portions of the state could get 4 to 12 inches of snow, while the central and southeast sectors of the state could see 5 to 10 inches.

A “significant Arctic outbreak” of cold air will cover large swaths of the U.S. starting this weekend, with frigid conditions anticipated to last into mid-January.

With one storm safely out to sea, attention turns to the next system that's forecast to spread a wintry mess from Texas to the East Coast this week.

The new year is ushering in a major winter storm across a wide swath of the United States, blasting large regions of the country with heavy snow and dangerous ice. 60 million people are under weather

Massive wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods and displaced thousands in Los Angeles have killed at least 10

The death toll from the multiple fires raging across Los Angeles County rose to 10 on Thursday night as the largest of the five blazes—the Palisades Fire—grew to cover nearly 20,000 acres amid strong winds, meaning the “Red Flag” fire weather conditions will remain in effect until Friday evening.