Massive storm, brutal cold hitting US this week: What to expect

As the holiday travel rush begins, a major storm is expected to move from the West Coast to the East Coast, bringing heavy snow, blizzard conditions and damaging winds.

This week's forecast

On Tuesday morning, the storm is hitting Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, dropping several inches of snow.

By Wednesday afternoon, snow and brutal cold will slam Denver to Minneapolis.

On Thursday, the snow moves into Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago.

Snow totals could top 1 foot in parts of the Midwest.

On Friday, gusty winds will blow all that snow around and may produce blizzard conditions in the Heartland and Chicago. Major airport delays are possible.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, heavy rain and damaging winds are possible Thursday night into Friday night. Winds gusts could reach 50 to 60 mph from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Major flight delays are possible.

Brutal cold

Behind this winter storm will be brutally cold air.

The temperature in Denver might remain below zero all day on Thursday, making it the coldest day in eight years.

In Montana, actual temperatures on Thursday are expected to be in the minus 40s, with a wind chill -- what temperature it feels like -- near minus 60 degrees. This could be the coldest air for the region in almost 40 years.

On Friday morning, the wind chill is forecast to plunge to minus 42 degrees in Minneapolis and minus 31 degrees in Chicago and Kansas City. On Christmas morning, the wind chill will be slightly more bearable with forecasts of minus 29 degrees in Minneapolis, minus 16 degrees in Chicago and minus 6 degrees in Kansas City.

This bitter cold moves into Texas, the Gulf Coast and Florida on Friday and will last through Christmas weekend. On Christmas morning the wind chill is forecast to be 24 degrees in Houston, 23 degrees in New Orleans and 32 degrees in Tampa.

In New York City, a brutal wind chill of 5 degrees is forecast for Christmas morning.