Significant winter storm to hit midwest, east coast over MLK holiday weekend

A major winter storm is expected to dump a mix of snow, rain, and sleet across most of the eastern United States over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. 

The storm, named by meteorologists the "Saskatchewan screamer," will be caused by frigid air descending from Canada combined with a disturbance from the Pacific Northwest. The storm is expected to disrupt air and road travel across the country.

Before it moves to the East Coast, the screamer will, forecasters predict, deposit up to a foot of snow in the areas between Fargo, North Dakota, and Des Moines, Iowa. It will then move to the Tennessee Valley area hitting Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas before moving up to the Northeast, bringing freezing rain and freezing temperatures, between Sunday and Monday night. 

Meteorologists predict that the sleet from the storm could quickly coat trees and power lines, causing lasting power outages. The storm will likely make worse already existing supply chain issues that have been plaguing grocery stores and hospitals.