A blast of arctic air surging into the US before Christmas will bring blizzards and plunge temperatures as low as -30 degrees

• The NWS is warning Americans across the country to brace for winter weather this week.
• Arctic air streaming into the US from Canada will bring blizzards and sub-zero temperatures.

The National Weather Service is warning Americans across the country to brace for blizzards, intense winds, and sub-zero temperatures in the days leading up to Christmas.

In a notice published early Tuesday morning and valid through Thursday, the NWS said winter weather spanning from the Northwest to the Appalachian Mountains this week could trigger "potentially hazardous" conditions. It said a wall of "dangerous" arctic air is sweeping through the US from Western Canada and could bring heavy snow to the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rocky Mountains.

The arctic air is forecast to extend southeast toward the Great Basin, northern Rockies, and Great Plains, where temperature readings will plunge as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit, the notice said.

With wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, the wind chill temperature in the central and north-central US could drop as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit, the notice said.

"This level of cold can be life threatening and lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes," the NWS warned, adding that 17 states are already under wind chill warnings and warning that the cold and snow could add to holiday travel issues across the central Plains, Great Lakes, and Midwest.

As for the East Coast, the NWS is warning only of moderate rain and strong winds.

"A winter storm forming along an incoming Arctic front is forecast to produce heavy snow & blizzard conditions for much of the Midwest & Great Lakes starting late Wednesday & through Christmas Eve. Extremely dangerous travel conditions are likely Thursday into Christmas Eve," the NWS Prediction Center wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

The Prediction Center said people should expect the weather to impact local infrastructure, possibly causing damage to trees or sparking power outages.

The NWS has previously published information about what to do if you're driving during a snowstorm, including how to survive if you get trapped in your car.

For example, it advises people to stay inside their vehicles and run the car in short bursts.