Winter storm: Schools close in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh as new blast of snow hits Northeast

New round of snow takes aim at East coast
Tens of millions are in the path of a bitter blast of winter weather as snow bears down on swaths of the country.

Here’s a current view of various state highways taken from our plow trucks. Road conditions are generally clear, but the snow is falling rapidly in some areas, especially South Jersey, making for decreased visibility.

We continue to urge everyone to please stay home if you can. pic.twitter.com/XpsDD6avFc

— NJDOT (@NewJerseyDOT) January 19, 2024

The snow forecast

Snow is falling from Indiana to Delaware on Friday morning, causing dangerous commutes in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Current view I-65 NB 247 mm overpass (Crown Point exit). The bridge is completely frozen. Left two lanes blocked for next couple hours. Several more truck crashes NB near Ridge Rd. Roads may look clear, THEY ARE NOT! Watch for black ice! pic.twitter.com/zqAmNOSB5d

— Sgt. Glen Fifield (@ISPLowell2) January 19, 2024

I know we always talk about the roads, but be extremely careful in the parking lots too. pic.twitter.com/pXIvZsQRZC

— Joy Wang (@Joy7News) January 19, 2024

Most areas are forecast to see 2 to 5 inches.

New York City may get 1 to 2 inches of snow -- the second day this week with more than 1 inch of snow following New York City's snow drought of more than 700 days.
 

Baltimore City Public Schools and Pittsburgh's public schools also closed their doors on Friday.

In Nashville, schools have been shut down the entire week in the wake of the snowfall that wreaked havoc on roads.
 

The snow will end by Friday night, leaving bitterly cold temperatures across much of the Northeast.
 

Meanwhile, a reinforcing shot of Arctic air is expected to settle in on Friday and should stick around through the weekend across the Midwest and Great Lakes. All that cold air should help generate the intense lake effect snow bands that have been blanketing numerous locations along the lakes this week.

The highest snow report in the last 48 hours is from Copenhagen, New York, where residents saw a whopping 50 inches of heavy lake effect snow.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest, snow will change to sleet and freezing rain across parts of Washington and Oregon on Friday, which may lead to slick roads and dangerous travel.

Throughout this weekend, another storm makes its way onshore from the Pacific Ocean, bringing a heavy rain chance to central California and Northern California. An estimated 1 to 3 inches of rain is likely from San Francisco to the Oregon border.

Brutal cold

More than a dozen states are still facing sub-zero temperatures heading into the weekend.

The wind chill -- what temperature it feels like -- is forecast on Sunday to plunge to minus 16 degrees in Chicago, minus 10 degrees in Kansas City, 4 degrees in Nashville and 10 degrees in New York City.

Freeze watches and warnings are in effect for cities as far south as New Orleans, Jacksonville, Florida, and Corpus Christi, Texas.

ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.