Preparations are underway as an arctic blast dives into the nation's interior and southern regions and pushes a snowstorm into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast that will be followed by lethal cold.

Snow and winds are likely to disrupt traffic, trigger flight cancellations, and cause headaches for people traveling to D.C. for Inauguration Day. Baby, it’s cold outside, and it’s about to get even colder for much of the United States.

An arctic blast will send temperatures across the United States plummeting as bitterly cold air that originated in Siberia will arrive from Canada by week’s end, bringing with it dangerously cold wind chills for millions of Americans.