A winter storm began to dump snow across the upper Midwest on Friday as it made its way toward the South and eventually the East Coast, promising weekend weather havoc for millions of people. 
As of Friday afternoon, more than 60 million Americans were under some level of winter weather alert, according to the National Weather Service. The alerts stretched from North Dakota to as far south as Georgia, and up into New England.
Major travel disruptions are expected with the storm throughout the Martin Luther King Jr., holiday weekend, AccuWeather said.
The storm is known as a “Saskatchewan screamer,” AccuWeather said, as it originated in that Canadian province. Meanwhile, the Weather Channel has named it “Winter Storm Izzy.”
After pasting the Upper Midwest with up to a foot of snow in some areas on Friday, the storm is forecast to dive into the South on Saturday and into Sunday, spreading snow into cities such as Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina. 
NEED TO SHOVEL THE DRIVEWAY?Tips on how to deal with snow this winter
EXPERTS WEIGH IN:Should I start my car and let it warm up in cold weather?
Memphis is forecast to see as much as 3 inches of snow, while up to 5 inches could fall in Nashville, the weather service said. 
Atlanta is also in the path of the storm, which could end the city’s nearly four-year streak without measurable snow.
Ice will be a particular concern with the storm in portions of the Carolinas. A weather service forecast office in South Carolina said “power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. Additionally, strong wind gusts may add more stress to ice-covered trees.” 
The storm’s last stops will be the mid-Atlantic and Northeast after it takes a sharp turn to the north-northeast along the Eastern Seaboard on Sunday and into Monday.
Heavy snow is forecast to wallop portions of the region – especially the Appalachians and interior Northeast – with as much as 18 inches of snow by the time the storm winds down late Monday.
The best chance for heavy snow is expected to be north and west of the Boston-Washington Interstate 95 corridor, from parts of Northern Virginia to Maine, Weather.com said.
WHAT IS A BOMB CYCLONE? A winter hurricane, explained.
THUNDERSNOW! What is thundersnow and how does it happen?
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of the winter storm, which he said would bring significant ice, freezing rain, sleet and snowfalls ranging from two to five inches to the state.
In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam also declared a state of emergency Friday as the storm approached. State police are warning people to avoid travel during the holiday weekend due to the storm, just days after a previous storm halted traffic on part of Interstate 95.
State police are preparing for this latest round of winter weather and will have all available troopers on patrol to respond as quickly as possible to traffic crashes, emergencies and disabled motorists, according to a statement.
Virginia state officials came under intense criticism following a winter storm last week. Many motorists reported getting little assistance while they were stuck in gridlock on I-95, which according to officials began after a commercial vehicle jackknifed.
More:A couple stuck on I-95 saw a bakery truck and had an idea: ‘We didn’t think it would actually work’
The National Weather Service recommends you keep the following items in your car if you’re traveling:
Contributing: The Associated Press

source