NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The latest in a long line of winter storms took direct aim at the East Coast on Wednesday, threatening to dump heavy snow and some ice across several states.

A storm that dropped snow in the Midwest spread across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, bringing more misery to some places just starting to clean up from deadly weekend floods.

Up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow was possible along the Atlantic Coast in Virginia and significant ice accumulations were forecast in eastern North Carolina, the National Weather Service said. Virginia State Police reported 53 accidents as of late Wednesday morning, four involving injuries with no fatalities.

Nearly 4,000 flights were canceled or delayed across the United States on Wednesday, including more than 300 in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.com.

Elsewhere, a polar vortex gripped the nation from Montana to southern Texas, sending temperatures plunging. The biggest batch of record cold temperatures are likely to hit early Thursday and Friday, said weather service meteorologist Andrew Orrison.

Deja storm all over again

Virginia remained under a state of emergency that Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued for another storm on Feb. 10 that allowed the National Guard and state agencies to assist local governments. Both Youngkin and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to stay off the roads unless necessary.

North Carolina officials warned residents in the eastern part of the state to brace for potential power outages as snow, sleet and freezing rain arrived. Stein declared a state of emergency Tuesday in preparation for the storm.

“Please know that we are using every tool at our disposal to minimize the impact of this storm on you and your family,” Stein said Wednesday. “At this point, our greatest concerns remain power outages and road safety.”

Potential ice accumulations of up to one-half inch (1.3 centimeters) in places like Greenville, Goldsboro and New Bern would cause tree branches to snap, said North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray.

Ray and Stein said people who lose power need to operate generators and cook on grills outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning indoors.

North Carolina Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said more than 1,200 crew members were clearing roads or ready to do so, with over 1,400 trucks at the agency’s disposal.

Snow after floods

Weekend storms that pummeled the eastern U.S. killed at least 17 people, including 14 in Kentucky, where a half-foot (15 centimeters) or more of snow was expected starting Wednesday.

“This is a snowstorm in the middle of a natural disaster,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday.

In southern West Virginia, weekend floods killed three people in McDowell County, destroyed roads and cut off public water systems. Thousands remained without power Tuesday night. Shelters were open at multiple churches and schools while more than a dozen locations were serving hot meals.

The incoming snowstorm “is going to severely hinder, if not halt, a lot of the efforts that we have,” said McDowell County Commissioner Michael Brooks. “We want to ensure that we are doing our best to at least keep people warm.”

Bone-chilling cold

More than 80 million people in the nation’s midsection were locked in gripping cold, the weather service said. Hundreds of public school districts canceled classes or switched to online learning for a second day Wednesday in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

Hettinger, North Dakota, recorded a low temperature of minus 45 degrees (minus 42 Celsius) on Wednesday, the weather service said. By midday, Hettinger had warmed up to minus 13 (minus 25 Celsius).

In Kansas City, Missouri, the forecast high Wednesday is 8 degrees (minus 13 Celsius), which would break the mark of 11 degrees (minus 11.6 Celsius) set in 1929.

Some relief was in sight with readings expected to climb above freezing by the weekend.

___

Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press writers from across the U.S. contributed to this report.