More than 160 million people are on alert for a brutal storm. More than 160 million people are on alert for a brutal weekend storm that's going to bring dangerous ice and snow to the South, bitter cold to the Midwest, and snowfall to the Northeast.

The storm already had brought bitterly cold temperatures to parts of the Plains and Midwest, and could bring what forecasters said could be "catastrophic ice."

Much of the south, central and eastern United States will see extremely icy conditions and heavy snowfall, disrupting travel from Arizona to Maine.

A winter storm is forecast to dump up to 24 inches of snow in some places this weekend, and many are wondering: How much snow are we actually getting?

As millions of Americans prepare for a brutally cold, snowy weekend, southerners are bracing extra hard.

Floridians will, however, get a taste of the cold early next week, when the frigid air finally pierces into the state, prompting freezing and near-freezing temperatures in Tampa Bay. Officials in Pinellas and Pasco counties already announced on Friday that the frigid blast will result in cold weather shelters opening next week.

The NYC area is bracing for a major winter storm that's set to hit the region with heavy snow on top of dangerous, subfreezing weather.

Impacts from what could be the most significant storm of winter are expected to begin on Friday, spreading ice, snow and cold across much of the U.S.