As millions of Americans hunker down for the winter storm, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have declared states of emergency.

Reporters across the NPR Network are covering the impact of the storm and how officials are responding. We've also got tips for staying safe once bad weather hits.

The Nashville office of the National Weather Service upgraded the winter storm watch to a warning ahead of expected snow and ice this weekend.

A dangerous winter storm is set to bring a treacherous mix of ice and snow to North Texas, triggering a 100-hour deep freeze that will keep temperatures below freezing until Tuesday.

“It will be after 7 or 8 p.m. when things start to trend over to frozen precipitation, and definitely after midnight is when it should be solidly freezing rain,” National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Willis said Saturday from his office in Peachtree City.

The coldest air and highest ice risk from the winter storm will arrive early Sunday morning, ending Sunday afternoon.

With severe winter weather set to roll into the Memphis area later today, Mid-South residents are preparing their homes for snow and ice, buying up grocery store staples and hunkering down ahead of the storm.

The storm, which The Weather Channel named Winter Storm Fern, could bring damaging ice and heavy snow to a stretch of the country that includes parts of the South, Midwest and Northeast. The National Weather Service predicts the storm will start Friday across the south-central U.