More than half of the United States is about to face one of the most sprawling and menacing winter storms in years, one that threatens to deliver a historic blow of snow and ice.
The long-lasting storm begins Friday and, by its end on Monday, will have dropped a foot or more of snow and destructive amounts of ice over its 1,500-mile path from Texas to the Northeast. At least 10 states have already declared a state of emergency as the storm approaches.
Major Northeast cities like New York and Philadelphia could get their largest snowfall in at least four years, while major cities in the South deal with worrying amounts of ice.
Nearly 170 million people across more than two dozen…