Meteorologist Ryan Hall says the setup on the map right now is not your average winter nuisance. In his words, the biggest winter storm of the season so far is on the way, and it’s bringing a messy mix – heavy snow, “crippling” ice, and a shot of cold that could be historic in a few places.
Ryan’s tone is cautious, but you can tell he’s getting more concerned as he walks through what the models are showing. He keeps coming back to the same idea: somebody is about to get a storm people talk about for a long time.
The problem is, at this distance, it’s still hard to say exactly who that somebody will be.
Ryan starts by outlining the timeline. He says the earliest impacts begin Friday, with precipitation quickly lighting up from the Rockies toward the Appalachians.
He calls it “wild” to watch because of how large the system is and how many states are involved at once.
And right away he draws attention to the danger zone: not the easy snow forecasts, but the area where temperatures hover around freezing and everything gets complicated.
Snow First, Then The Ice Line Starts Fighting Back
Ryan Hall says Friday into Saturday is when the first wave gets rolling, and it begins as snow in places like Kansas and Oklahoma, and he even includes parts of Missouri and Kentucky in that early snow start.
Then comes the part that makes winter storms truly disruptive: the transition zone.
Ryan warns there’s a stripe where snow tries to change over, and he says that’s where “pretty bad icing” can show up. He’s careful not to draw a hard line too soon, because the storm track and temperatures can still wobble.
Still, he flags certain cities where he thinks “problems” are possible if the ice scenario holds together, including places like Dallas and Memphis.
Ryan is blunt about why he won’t get too specific yet. He says the snow-versus-ice line can be difficult to pin down right up until the event.
That’s a good reminder, because people often hear “winter storm” and assume it’s a simple snow map. Ryan’s whole point is that this one is not simple.
He tells viewers that if you’re in the impacted zones on Friday, you should expect winter weather effects. But he also makes it clear the big headline part of the storm is still a step ahead.
The Weekend Peak Looks Widespread And Serious
According to Ryan Hall, Saturday into Sunday is when things ramp up. He describes a rare, widespread winter storm probability zone, and he notes that the “peak” area – where impacts are most likely – includes both snow and ice threats.
Ryan lays out a pattern that will sound familiar to anyone who’s lived through these: the farther north you go, the more likely you are to stay snow.
The farther south you go, the more likely you are to deal with rain, sleet, or freezing rain.
What stands out is how many places he names as “watch closely” spots for an ice storm possibility. Ryan mentions places like Little Rock, Memphis, Huntsville, and even higher terrain areas near the Appalachians.
But he immediately adds a warning: the very same cities he just listed could end up with a foot of snow and no ice if the line shifts.
That’s not him hedging to protect his ego. That’s him describing how chaotic this boundary can be when the atmosphere is balanced right on the freezing edge.
Ryan repeats something that matters if you’re trying to make decisions: this is going to be a “big storm for somebody,” but the “potential bucket is huge.”
That’s his way of saying the storm has a wide range of outcomes depending on where the final track and temperature profile settle.
He also notes that Sunday into Monday could keep icing problems going farther east and south, including parts of the Carolinas, while the snow threat expands north and east.
Why This Setup Is So Strange And Why Ice Is The Big Threat
Ryan Hall explains this storm isn’t acting like the classic movie version, where a big low-pressure system spins up and drags cold air behind it. He says what’s “fascinating” is that the driving force is actually a massive, unusually strong high-pressure system coming out of Canada.
In his view, it’s not even a storm in the usual sense. It’s a serious blast of arctic air pushing far south, and then that cold air is colliding with Gulf moisture and warmth that’s already sitting there.
That collision is what creates the mess.
Ryan says the snow is going to get the headlines, but he’s more worried about the ice threat, especially for the southern Plains and the Deep South. Ice is the kind of winter hazard that turns “bad roads” into “power out for days,” and Ryan talks about that directly.
He describes a persistent band on the model outputs – areas that keep showing pink and purple – where ice risk could be significant.
He points to zones between Houston and Dallas, and he also mentions areas stretching toward Jackson, Birmingham, and potentially even Atlanta, depending on where the line ends up.
He’s honest about uncertainty. Ryan says his gut usually expects a northward trend as you get closer, but that gut instinct is often based on tracking low-pressure systems.
This time, he says, it’s different. The unusual high-pressure dominance makes it “uncharted waters,” and that makes the forecast harder.
That kind of honesty is important. People don’t need fake confidence. They need a clear picture of risk and what could change.
Ryan also walks through a scenario where some areas—like Oklahoma City—stay mostly snow, while an ice stripe sets up farther south and east.
He says places like Richmond, Virginia look like they’ll stay all snow in his view, and he feels confident some areas in Kentucky won’t have to deal with ice.
The big question, he says, is what happens south of that.
Snow Totals Look High, But The Real Nightmare Is Ice Plus Brutal Cold
Ryan Hall knows everyone wants snow totals, so he gives early signals while stressing they are not locked.
He says a widespread 6 to 8 inches is a reasonable early idea, with some areas possibly getting 14 inches or more.
Then he highlights the National Blend of Models painting a dramatic snow bullseye in North Carolina and Virginia, including an eye-catching average around Richmond.
He explains why that matters: it’s not just one wild model throwing out a ridiculous number. He says multiple models are consistently hitting that region, which pushes the averages higher.
Ryan also notes there’s less consistency farther north into the Northeast, and that uncertainty shows up in things like possible dry slots or mixing lines creeping north.
But he still suggests there may be a band somewhere with a foot or more of snow. The challenge is figuring out where that band lands – whether it’s right on one corridor or shifted 100 miles north or south.
He name-drops cities and numbers as examples of what the blend is suggesting, including places like Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, and Little Rock, while also saying he expects some areas in Tennessee and Arkansas could exceed a foot even if the current averages look lower.
He points out a second snow bullseye back in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles area, partly because confidence is higher earlier in the timeline there.
Then Ryan pivots back to the danger he doesn’t want people to ignore: ice.
He says he’s seen model runs showing over an inch of ice in places like Atlanta, and even more in parts of North Carolina, with other scenarios putting significant ice potential around Dallas too.
He doesn’t want to “advertise” the worst-case ice numbers too early, because he’s worried people will accuse meteorologists of fear-mongering if the line shifts and the outcome improves.
But he’s also clear that if the current signal holds, the situation could be a catastrophe in the places that get heavy icing.
The reason is simple: ice brings power outages, and Ryan says the cold air behind this system isn’t just chilly. He’s talking about potentially extreme, dangerous cold settling into areas that don’t handle it well.
Ryan gives an example that sticks in your brain: if power goes out across the Deep South and temperatures plunge, you could be looking at raw temperatures below zero in places that rarely see it.
That’s where winter storms stop being “pretty snow” and become genuine survival problems for people without heat.
He says he hopes the models are wrong. He reminds viewers weather people are wrong all the time.
But he also says if the threat doesn’t back off, then the next conversations need to be about preparation, not curiosity.
Ryan closes by looking ahead at the broader pattern. He says the 6–10 day outlook keeps the eastern half of the country locked into a brutally cold setup, and he even mentions signals that another storm could follow after this one.
Winter isn’t just “showing up,” in his telling. It’s setting up shop.
A Practical Takeaway
Ryan Hall’s message – beneath the maps and model names – is that this is a high-impact setup with a lot of uncertainty right where it matters most. Snow is disruptive, but ice is the kind of thing that snaps trees, drops lines, and makes normal life impossible fast.
If you’re in the potential impact zone, the smart move is to treat this like a real threat now, then adjust as the forecast tightens. Charge devices. Make sure you’ve got a safe way to stay warm if power fails. Don’t wait until the night before to find out the grocery shelves are bare and the gas stations are slammed.
And if you’re watching from outside the bullseye, don’t get smug. Ryan’s whole point is that the storm’s “bucket” is wide. The sharp edges of this forecast can still shift.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
