The arctic blast rocking the country is expected to reach its highest intensity on Friday, producing what the National Weather Service (NWS) is describing as “widespread disruptions” heading into the holiday weekend as over half the U.S. population finds itself under a winter storm warning, watch, or advisory. The blizzard, dubbed Winter Storm Elliott, has triggered dramatic temperature drops across the U.S., with some cities seeing temperatures plummet 40 degrees in less than an hour, smashing records.