75 million Americans under weather alerts for massive winter storm

But first we begin with the lows, I guess, with weather temperatures. You've got this massive storm already hit parts of the U.S. More than 75 million Americans run a winter weather alert. And you've got these threats now of heavy snow, high winds, and dangerously low temperatures. That's right. The storm is actually stretching the entire width of the continental U.

S. As far west as California and as far east as Maine. Forecasters predict the upper Midwest will bear the brunt of the severe winter weather. The Minneapolis area could get more than 20 inches of snow today and more than two feet in total over the coming days. Yep, and that could cause a travel glitch, hundreds of flights in and out of the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport. They've already been canceled today and those cancellations are impacting thousands of people including this young mother.

I was supposed to go get my daughter in Dallas today and we drove from Grand Rapids and because of the weather it took us seven and a half hours. They told me that they can't give me a voucher to get a hotel or anything like that or food for my son. So we're kind of just stuck here. Joining us now from a very chilly Minneapolis is CBS News correspondent Christina Rafini taking one for the team. Christina, good to be talking with you. Forecasters are saying that Minneapolis there may see more snow over the coming days than it has seen in three decades. Tell us what it's like right now.

So far it's been freezing but drivable. This is the result of one of the 800 snow plows that are out about. I'm going to try to get down off this snow without embarrassing myself on live television, mission accomplished. Look, this is a region that's used to snow, right? So so far this is just winter but people are actually taking these warnings seriously and one of the reasons is what you said this could be the most snow they've seen in decades. The last time they got 17 inches in a matter of 24 hours it actually collapsed the roof of a stadium around here. So people are preparing. We talked to people when I was flying in here.

I was talking to people on the airplane. They were getting right from the airport to the store to do their shopping and hunker down. The roads are passable. They're empty which is good. It makes me think that people are heating this morning because the National Weather Service has said it could be impassable tonight and early tomorrow morning. So the worst is yet to come. And that's a good point you make, Christina, because this is a part of the country used to this type of weather.

Absolutely, it's sturdy. Folks have the clothes, they've got the plan and as you've mentioned they've got the stock up the food plan. But your point about the roads being impassable here soon and our credit to the Snow Plough workers who are up early making sure things are clear. How else are officials responding considering of what's expected? So far it's a lot of wait and see but it looks like they want to be prepared if they do get that deluge blizzard that they're anticipating. The National Guard is essentially on standby. They're working on communicating with the local officials. Police fire rescue.

Our local station went to the local hospital here and they said, look, they've got snow tires on their ambulances and they've got sleds and they're going to get to their patients however they need to. So we're just going to have to see how everything goes. The other big issue is as you talked about is the airport. There are people in our hotel this morning who are already stranded. Their flights have been canceled. That young woman trying to get to her daughter. That's going to affect this area for some time to come because you've got to remember all those people who got kicked off their flights tomorrow.

There's a knock on effect, right? They try to book the next day and the next day out and the next day out. So you could see ripples of that throughout the system for a couple of days to come yet. Christina, I love that sled detail and how dedicated those EMS workers are. But given that this is going to be a multi-day event, does that change the way that officials prepare? I don't think so. Like you said, they are used to snow in this part of the country. They just may be not so much of it, not so quickly. But our crew here is local.

They were kind of making fun of me this morning and saying it's not that cold, it's just winter. Clearly, my Colorado roots have left me and I've spent too much time in D.C. But I think it's just a matter of everybody being safe, everybody heating the warning from officials and they're trying to kind of already establish those lines of communications. Schools are closed not only here but in the Dakotas and Wisconsin for the rest of the week. And we're also on online learning which is kind of devastating if you think about school snow days when we were kids, you got to go out and sled. But the sledding is going to have to wait because the good news is the electric power lines and Wi-Fi are still working.

So hopefully everybody stays safe, everybody stays off the road and everybody can get through this in one piece. I can't even, I think of snow days with blizzards like this. That's, oh, those poor kids. But you make a good point. And I'm just so old. I used to have to wait for it to go across the TV to see if my school was canceled. Now you're just going to text message so you know.

Well it's good we've got your experience to use in this story, Christina. And keep your crew warm. Yes. Even though they say they're used to it. We appreciate you joining us. Thanks very much, Christina Raffining. Thanks guys.

Minneapolis, Weather, winter storm, wind, snow, United States