ARLINGTON, Va. − A wall of snow, ice and rain was sweeping across the Northeast on Thursday, the first in a series of storms forecast to wallop much of the nation's northern tier over the next several days.

Just as the Midwest and Northeast grapple with an ongoing winter storm, an even stronger one is on its way this weekend. Freezing rain is again a concern for many areas, but the major difference will be significantly heavier snowfall.

Nearly half of the United States from the Midwest to Northeast will see snow or a freezing rain mix before the weekend arrives, weather forecasters say.