A wide-reaching storm hitting the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and Northeast Thursday is just the first in a nearly nonstop series of winter storms over the next week-plus.

Winter weather alerts were in place for some 100 million people across 22 states from Nebraska to Massachusetts Thursday as a series of winter storms descend on northern and eastern states, bringing snow,

Millions of people from the Midwest to the Northeast are on alert as a developing winter storm is expected to bring a potentially crippling ice threat that could knock out power and lead to treacherous travel conditions across the region.

Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain are likely for some regions, as forecasters say “significant” ice accumulation could impact travel.