MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Flight delays and cancellations are affecting travelers in South Florida who are heading anywhere on the East Coast this weekend, where winter weather warnings are taking effect.

“You think about travel, you think of the dangers outside this --- this is a triple impact,” National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said.

A menacing storm with a massive footprint is set to hit more than half of the country with a potentially historic blast of snow and ice.

“Half the country’s population is going to see some sort of winter weather impact,” Graham said.

Some areas in the storm’s path are already dealing with crippling conditions.

It all starts Friday in the Great Plains, where the storm’s massive pool of moist air will clash with arctic air, causing bone-chilling temperatures and pushing the storm eastward.

“We have about 70,000 tons of salt ready to go and our 275 plows,” Emily Detitta, with the Montgomery County Transportation Department, said.

Major cities in the Northeast could get their largest snowfall in at least four years.

That includes New York, where officials are preparing all five boroughs for a winter battle.

Southern states are also bracing for destructive ice from freezing rain -- the storm’s most serious threat and one that could cause extended power outages.

“It’s just entirely premature for them to be able to know how many people will lose power,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said.

The winter storm will also bring hazardous road conditions.

“Latest forecasts show a widespread event that’s likely to spread ice throughout the state of North Carolina,” North Carolina Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said.

Air travel is also being impacted. Airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and United, put out travel advisories and are letting customers rebook or cancel travel scheduled over the next several days.

Those who are traveling up the East Coast from South Florida are urged to check their flight status prior to heading to the airport.

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