An area stretching from Texas to Tennessee braced Wednesday for the possible arrival of freezing rain and snow even as some parts of the U.S. hit by the plunging polar vortex this week began to shake off its icy effects.

According to the National Weather Service, a polar vortex will impact most of the country this weekend, here is what you need to know.

However, a deep freeze, thanks to the polar vortex dipping down from Siberia, is about to bring even harsher arctic blast to nearly 300 million Americans starting this weekend. Maps show where and when the cold front will arrive.

Snow and winds are likely to disrupt traffic, trigger flight cancellations, and cause headaches for people traveling to D.C. for Inauguration Day. Baby, it’s cold outside, and it’s about to get even colder for much of the United States.

Cities across the U.S. are bracing for cold temperatures as a polar vortex arrives, bringing temperatures down to much below normal for mid-to-late January. Parts of Utah are on the "very western fringe" of a cold front that will bring in air from the Arctic.