Winter storm brings heavy snow and ice and may cause power outages

A monster storm heading across the U.S. is expected to be the biggest of the season thus far. Part of the country could see 14 to 20 hours of continuous snowfall, the National Weather Service warned. 

Areas across the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa are expected to get as much as 10 inches before it's over. On Friday, snow fell at a rate of an inch an hour in southwestern Minnesota, creating whiteout conditions, according to CBS Minnesota. Roads in areas around the Twin Cities were covered in slush and snow during the evening commute. 

As much as a half of foot of snow is expected in parts of Illinois before Saturday morning. 

States across the South have already begun preparations for the storm with North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia declaring states of emergency. 

"We are expecting a very potent winter storm to push its way through the South," Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes said, adding that he's anticipating ice accumulation. 

Atlanta could get 1 to 3 inches of snow and parts of Tennessee could get 3 to 5 inches, Bettes said. He warned there could be widespread power outages in the Carolinas and travel could be "next to impossible." 

Preparations in Georgia are underway for snow and ice expected to arrive by Sunday. 

"You can't fool Mother Nature, we all know that. So we're doing everything pre-storm that we can," Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said. 

Virginia has been prepping Interstate-95 since Thursday as it tries to avoid a repeat of last week's 40-mile standstill that stranded hundreds of drivers in freezing temperatures overnight. 

Heavier snow accumulation is expected in the North East with some places getting 8 to 12 inches, Bettes said. 

Elise Preston contributed reporting.