A powerful storm is expected to hit up to 200 million Americans with snow, ice and torrential rain, over the coming week.

About 60 per cent of the US will likely to be hit by wintry weather on Tuesday, according to AccuWeather, an American media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services worldwide. It said the storm will develop over the western Gulf of Mexico before moving northwards. A significant amount of rainfall is expected.

The storm began in California over the weekend before it moved north towards the Rocky Mountains on Monday as a foot of snow fell in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

It is then expected to spread heavy snow and strong winds into central US, the National Weather Service said.

Snow and freezing rain are predicted to arrive in the central Appalachian mountains and the northern mid-Atlantic by late Tuesday night and carry on into Wednesday.

Winter weather – in pictures Show all 47 1 /47 Winter weather – in pictures Winter weather – in pictures US-Canada Water flows around ice, formed on the American Falls in Niagara Falls, due to subzero temperatures, viewed from the Canadian side, in Ontario Reuters Winter weather – in pictures The Netherlands The first snow of the year fell across the Netherlands on 22 January, 2019 EPA/KOEN VAN WEEL Winter weather – in pictures France Tourists are pictured in the Tuileries garden as snow falls over Paris AFP/Getty Images Winter weather – in pictures US Workers deice a Southwest Airline aircraft at Midway Airport in Chicago Getty Images Winter weather – in pictures Russia Amateur rugby players participate in a "snow rugby" tournament at Moscow's suburb of Zelenograd AFP/Getty Images Winter weather – in pictures Germany Tourists stand on a view point at the 1838 metres high Wendelstein mountain near Bayrischzell, Bavaria EPA Winter weather – in pictures Belgium Roofs are seen snow-covered near the Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Nepal A woman tries to catch snowflakes with her tongue during a snowfall on Chandragiri Hills in Kathmandu Reuters Winter weather – in pictures UK A bus drives through a snow shower in London EPA Winter weather – in pictures Ukraine A woman shields herself under an umbrella during a heavy snowfall in central Kiev Reuters Winter weather – in pictures US-Canada Ice and snow cover branches near the brink of the Horseshoe Falls, due to subzero temperatures in Niagara Falls Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Ukraine People cross a road during a heavy snowfall in central Kiev Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Germany Workers de-ice parts on a classic steam locomotive AP Winter weather – in pictures Lebanon Snow covered mountains of the Cedars area in the Lebanese mountains AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Czech Republic A man with a snow cutter cleans a road during a heavy snowfall in Velka Upa, Giant Mountains AP Winter weather – in pictures Germany A track vehicle of the German army provides food to a village near Berchtesgaden AP Winter weather – in pictures South Korea Tourists view snow-covered trees on Jeju Island EPA Winter weather – in pictures Germany A man walks through piles of snow in the pedestrian zone in the city center of Berchtesgaden Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Austria A cat playing in the snow in Ramsau am Dachstein AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Germany A snowplough train is seen during heavy snowfalls in Miesbach Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Russia A woman walks in a park in the Moscow suburb AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Germany A no trespassing sign stands in the snow at the train station in Berchtesgaden Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Austria A man cleans a path at a cemetery from snow AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Poland Snow covers a Jesus Christ figure near Szczyrk Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Austrian-German border A military helicopter monitors the situation at the Austrian-German border at Kufstein AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Germany Two workers clean a pathway next to a regional train at the train station in Berchtesgaden Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Austria A man shovels snow on a rooftop during heavy snowfall in Filzmoos Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Austria A man clearing his car from the snow after heavy snowfalls in Ramsau AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures India A Kashmiri boy rides a sleigh during a snowfall in Gagangeer AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Switzerland A sea of fog from the Moleson mountain in the canton of Fribourg EPA Winter weather – in pictures Germany Workers try to clear rail tracks after heavy snowfalls in Schaftlach, near Munich Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Britain A train travels through rural Bath PA Winter weather – in pictures Switzerland A swam swims on the river Rhine in Schaffhausen AP Winter weather – in pictures Finland People walk in snow-covered streets of the city of Outokumpu amid snowfalls EPA Winter weather – in pictures Greece Girls play with the snow outside during a heavy snowfall in Hortiatis AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Turkey Istanbul's Camlica mosque on the Asian side of the Bosphorus AFP/Getty Winter weather – in pictures Russia People take a picture in the Siberian taiga forest Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Belarus People walk in the park as snow falls in Minsk AP Winter weather – in pictures Russia Trees covered with snow and hoarfrost on the island on Yenisei river d Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Greece Snow covers some parts of the ancient Acropolis hill and Plaka the tourist district of Athens AP Winter weather – in pictures Austria A snow-covered car is seen at a parking lot EPA Winter weather – in pictures Switzerland A sea of fog from the Moleson mountain in the canton of Fribourg EPA Winter weather – in pictures India A man walks through a paddy field during snowfall on a cold winter morning in Pattan, north of Srinagar Reuters Winter weather – in pictures India epa07258344 Kashmiri boys walk on a snow covered hill in Tangmarg, some 30 kilometers north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 02 January 2019. With the first snowfall this year, frozen waters experienced thaw. Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway, the only road linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was stopped after snowfall, according to local news reports. EPA/FAROOQ KHAN FAROOQ KHAN EPA Winter weather – in pictures Greece Snow covers the statue of Alexander the Great at the seaside promenade of Thessaloniki Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Russia Fishermen walk along the frozen Yenisei river in the Siberian taiga area Reuters Winter weather – in pictures Greece People enjoy the snow at a park in northern Athens AP

The risk of heavy snow, ice and disruption to travel will spread across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.

The National Weather Service said a corridor of 2-5 inches of rainfall is expected from Louisiana to eastern Kentucky by Thursday morning.

A flooded side street in Schellville, California, USA, on 14 February 2019 after strong weather hit the west coast of California. (EPA/Peter DaSilva)

Several inches of snow is likely to fall before it changes to sleet and freezing rain, mainly along and west of Interstate 95, which runs down the US east coast.

Moderate to locally heavy snow is forecast across the Central Plains and Upper Midwest Tuesday into Wednesday.

And more is expected across the Cascades and Northern Rocky Mountains by the middle of the week.

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Winter storm warnings are in place for these areas, where snow has the potential to fall up to 8 inches on higher ground, the National Weather Service said.

As much as a quarter to half an inch of ice could form in some places, according to AccuWeather.

Flights could be delayed or cancelled at major airports such as Chicago, Washington DC, New York and Boston because of aircraft de-icing and low visibility.

School closures across the mid-Atlantic are also likely on Wednesday.

The next round of snow should begin arriving to southern Utah and northern Arizona by Thursday.

Elsewhere, very low temperatures are predicted from Montana to Minnesota with highs in the teens and low 20s Fahrenheit (below 0C).