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RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A major winter storm is set to lash the eastern half of the United States with damaging ice and heavy snow late this week. It’s all being fed by a brutal blast of Arctic air that’s bringing the season’s coldest air to date.

The storm will strengthen in the Plains on Friday, with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain potentially extending over 1,000 miles from Oklahoma and northern Texas to North Carolina and Virginia by Saturday night.

The National Weather Service has already hoisted winter storm watches for much of Oklahoma and parts of northern Texas into Arkansas and northwest Louisiana. Additional winter weather alerts for other areas are likely in the next day or two.

Major travel disruption on roads and at airports is a given across a widespread area from the Southern and Central Plains to the East Coast. Of particular concern is the freezing rain, which could lead to damaging ice buildups in addition to making travel impossible in a worst-case scenario.

The track of this storm and how it interacts with the blast of cold air is still somewhat uncertain and that will make a big difference when it comes to snow and ice totals in any one location. Those details will come into better focus over the next couple of days.

One thing that’s for certain: Brutal cold is on the way for millions, and any snow and ice that accumulates will not melt quickly. That means any impacts could last into early next week for areas that see significant snow and ice totals.

Central NC forecast

Arctic air will sweep in, dropping temperatures into the 20s Friday night and keeping highs on Saturday in the upper 20s to near 30 — close to or below record lows for the date.

The main event, however, is the winter storm. Growing confidence suggests wintry precipitation will impact much of the nation, including North Carolina.

A Winter Storm Watch was issued for several NC counties Saturday afternoon through Monday afternoon.

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SEE ALSO: Preparations take shape as threat of a significant winter storm increases

After a brief lull Friday night, a mix of snow and ice is expected to move in Saturday morning. Precipitation will intensify in the afternoon, making travel extremely hazardous across central North Carolina.

Early Saturday could see snow or a snow/sleet mix, with sleet continuing into Saturday night before freezing rain mixes in. The transition from snow to sleet to freezing rain may fall right over the viewing area, complicating the forecast. Models suggest the Triangle could see more sleet and freezing rain, while areas from the Triad north and west are more likely to get snow.

Travel will be challenging as roads become snow- and ice-covered. The greatest risk for freezing rain, which could lead to tree damage and power outages, is from the Triangle south and east. Even a quarter-inch of ice is enough to cause significant problems, though higher precipitation rates may limit ice accumulation.

Coldest air of winter inbound

The Arctic invasion that will feed this winter storm arrives in the Midwest and Plains Thursday into Friday and will then spread into the South and East this weekend. Dozens of locations could approach their coldest daily high temperatures on record, especially on Saturday.

Temperatures will be around 30 degrees below average by Friday in parts of the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and northern Illinois. That’s significant since mid-to-late January is when average temperatures are already at their lowest level for many locations east of the Rockies.

Thermometers in the Twin Cities will likely remain below zero all day on Friday and lows both that morning and Saturday might bottom out near minus 20 degrees. Chicago could see at least two consecutive mornings with subzero low temperatures.

Dangerously cold wind chills are also expected. The upper Midwest will see them fall between 30 and 50 degrees below zero. Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in as little as 10 minutes when wind chills are this cold.

The worst of the cold will push into parts of the South while also spreading into the Northeast on Saturday, plunging thermometers as much as 15 to 30 degrees colder than average. Highs in Boston and New York might not rise out of the teens and Dallas-Fort Worth is likely to stay below the freezing mark.

All of this sprawling Arctic air is notorious for feeding big winter storms, including deep into the South, and this one appears to be no different.

Black Ice Explained

CNN Meteorologist Chris Dolce contributed to this report.