Starting Friday, the storm—called Fern by some—intensifies with 1-3 inches of ice in the South like Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, 6-12 inches of snow in the Appalachians and Midwest, plus sleet everywhere. An arctic blast follows Sunday, dropping temps below zero in the Plains and Midwest with wind chills to -30°F, even chilling Florida enough for school closures. Panic buying empties Walmart shelves in places like Kentucky, natural gas prices surge 75%, and officials urge stocking supplies, dripping faucets and avoiding travel to brace for outages and exploding trees from extreme cold.

Stay safe and indoors if possible!