After hammering California with rain and snow, a "blockbuster" winter storm is taking aim at the East, where as much as 40 inches of snow could fall over the weekend. Road travel may become impossible in the heavy snow, and flight delays and cancellations are likely.

After the storm heads offshore Sunday, the intense cold will be the main weather story as air straight from the Arctic will roar in, bringing below-freezing temperatures to 200 million Americans.

"Freezing rain, heavy snow and heavy rain are expected through the central and eastern U.S. over the next few days," the National Weather Service warned.

Friday, the heaviest snow will hit South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, AccuWeather said.

Then, the storm will roar into the Northeast and New England on Saturday and Sunday, where the heaviest snow will fall.

AccuWeather said 40 inches is possible in parts of northern New England, and close to 30 inches of snow may fall on parts of central and northern New York state and the northern tier of Pennsylvania. Snowfall rates could reach 2-3 inches per hour.

The storm "will be a blockbuster in terms of impact and dangerous conditions," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Snowfall of 12-24 inches is likely to be more common in the heaviest band from the storm, according to the AccuWeather forecast. Blowing and drifting at the height and conclusion of the storm could cause the snow depth to vary by several feet.

"Plows are not likely to be able to keep up," Sosnowski warned. "As the storm strengthens, winds will cause major blowing and drifting of snow.

"Those who are on the road through the heart of the snow and ice area will be at risk for becoming stranded for many hours," Sosnowski said, adding that they "may have to face temperatures plummeting to dangerously low levels."

The combination of winds and heavy snow could lead to numerous power outages, particularly in the interior Northeast, according to the Weather Channel.

Boston should see its first inch of snow of the winter season.

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The Weather Channel warned that a thin band of sleet and freezing rain is possible in parts of the Ohio Valley eastward into the mid-Atlantic states.

The Weather Channel named the storm Harper. No other private weather company, nor the National Weather Service, uses that name.

After the storm, the coldest air of the season will roar across nearly the entire eastern half of the country by Monday: About 200 million people will wake up to below-freezing temperatures Monday morning, as far south as Florida, according to weather.us meteorologist Ryan Maue. Maue said about 85 percent of the Lower 48 states will see temperatures at or below freezing.

A "flash freeze" could develop late Sunday, causing any standing water to quickly freeze, creating dangerous and slippery conditions.

Lows will be below zero in the upper Midwest and northern Plains, and wind chills will approach 40 degrees below zero. Although the cold blast is expected to last only a day or two in most spots, it will bring a frigid end to January east of the Rockies, the Weather Channel said.

Forecasters expect the brutal, punishing stretch of intense cold will last well into February. The cold is partly due to the fracturing of the polar vortex this month, which slowly pushed frigid air from the Arctic into the USA.

Thursday, California dealt with heavy rainfall, mountain snow and flooding that threatened to trigger mudslides in areas scarred by devastating wildfires.

In Northern California, trees and power lines toppled in areas deluged by up to 5 inches of rain in recent days. The scenic Pacific Coast Highway was closed overnight near Big Sur because of mudslides and flooding.

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In Southern California, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said 19 vehicles crashed and 35 people suffered "minor to modest injuries" in fog near mountainous Cajon Pass.

“This is a life-threatening situation,” the weather service said of the storm's rampage.

Areas under evacuation orders included parts of fire-scarred Malibu, where all public schools were closed Thursday. Several vital canyon roads in the area were closed because of rock fall danger.

Blizzard warnings were in effect in the Sierra Nevada, which could get 3 feet of snow, the weather service said.

At least five deaths have been reported during the week of stormy weather.

Precipitation in California will begin to wind down by Thursday night and into Friday morning as the storm heads east.

Contributing: The Associated Press