Erin Davis/Axios Visuals An Arctic outbreak partially tied to the polar vortex encircling the far north is set to bring some of the coldest air in years to locations east of the Rocky Mountains during the next two to three weeks.

A major, disruptive winter storm was sweeping across the central U.S. on Sunday, forecasters said, bringing with it a dreaded combination of snow, ice and plunging temperatures. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri — where blizzard conditions are expected — to New Jersey.

Millions of Americans in eastern states brace for blizzards and treacherous ice as a severe winter storm spreads.