A powerful winter storm driven by a rapidly intensifying cyclone is sweeping east from the Plains, bringing heavy snow, ice and rain to much of the country

Millions of residents across multiple states in the U.S. have been warned to brace for a possible bomb cyclone, forecast to hit from Monday, December 29, through to the weekend, bringing heavy winds and wintry conditions, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue storm warnings and advise drivers not to travel unless it’s an emergency.

As a winter storm system pushed east, it wreaked havoc with tornadoes in Illinois and snow, ice, wind, rain and lightning for a wide swath of the nation.

More than 30 million people are under winter weather alerts from the Midwest to the Northeast, News.Az reports, citing CNN. In the Upper Midwest,

The New York City area accumulated just above 4 inches of snow as difficult travel conditions are expected through Saturday while crews work to clean up this wintry mess.

The NWS said hazardous conditions could stretch from Montana east to Maine, and from Texas north to Pennsylvania, US News, Times Now

A powerful storm system is sweeping across large parts of the United States, bringing heavy snow, freezing cold and strong winds from Montana to Maine and from Texas to Pennsylvania.

A winter storm will bring snow, sleet, and freezing rain to Maine on Monday. Slick travel and isolated outages are expected.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown say their winter weather plans include minimizing power outages, keeping roads safe and opening places for people to stay warm during the day and overnight.

New York is expected to get blanketed with up to 10 inches of snow starting later Friday, the most in nearly four years.

Acting Governor Tahesha Way declared a State of Emergency effective 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, due to a winter storm. The storm is expected to cause dangerous weather conditions, including heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain.