At least 46 million people were under a winter storm warning as of Thursday as the storm spreads along the Gulf Coast Friday, according to the weather service. The storm should weaken by Saturday, bringing lighter snow between 1 and 3 inches to parts of the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio Valley before exiting off the Carolinas.

It is just the start of 2025, but the U.S. is already seeing extreme weather across the country, from the wildfires raging in southern California to the uncharacteristically heavy snow in the Southeast and it seems that the return of La Niña may be responsible for some of it.

Snow, freezing rain and rain are underway in the southern Plains as a potent winter storm strengthens Thursday.