As millions of Americans hunker down for the winter storm, 19 states and Washington, D.C., have declared states of emergency.

Around 33 million people are under winter alerts Saturday as Floridians brace for bitter cold and snow takes aim at the southern Appalachians and the Southeast

Charlotte is expected to get anywhere from 4 to 7 inches of snow this weekend, and there’s a slim chance it could be higher, according to the National Weather Service. A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect from 4 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Sunday, and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has declared a State of Emergency.

That uncertainty is not unusual at this early stage. Forecasters rely on a blend of weather models — computer simulations used to predict future conditions — and they are more confident in a forecast when most of those models are consistent with one another. The closer the storm is, the more confident forecasters become.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from 1 a.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday for all of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

Days after a major winter storm caused paralyzing snow and ice for a large part of the U.S., another round of Arctic air was moving across the country and forecast to bring another storm to parts of t