'The Beginning of an Onslaught of Storms': Brutal Winter Weather About to Get Worse?

Residents from coast to coast are dealing with a dangerous mix of snow, ice and sleet as a powerful winter storm pummels a wide swath of the country.  

The storm has left 100,000 people without power.

"This situation with the groundhog pronouncing winter was over didn't really fly," said Joe Bastardi of Weather Bell Analytics. 

Up to nine inches of snow and ice blanketed areas from Philly to New York and Boston.

"It's very scary, slippery out," said Harold Crespo of Allentown, Pennsylvania. "I have like no traction."

In the Midwest, highways are treacherous and littered with cars. In Iowa, some drivers were stuck overnight on ice covered roads.

In Chicago, sleet and freezing rain created slippery conditions as half an inch of ice accumulated on parking lots, roads, driveways and sidewalks.

"I'm just breaking up a path here," said Aurora, IL resident Ron Gomez. "It helps to have an ice breaker to get the ice out and throw some salt down."

Road crews in multiple states are struggling to keep up with the travel nightmare.

"Based on temperatures right now we're not exactly sure how the salt's going to work," said Scott Birney, superintendent of the Goshen, NY Department of Public Works.

After this winter's bitter cold temperatures, multiple snow storms and icy roadways, many can't wait for warmer weather.
 
"I have four kids and to prep to get them to school is very hard, so I am waiting for spring to come around," said Angie Gomez of Aurora, IL. 

Unfortunately, forecasters predict the winter weather is far from over.

"I think this is the beginning of an onslaught of storms here through mid-March with various tracks," explained Bastardi. 

"It's a constant parade that's going to be going on here over the next month or so. We get to mid-March and we'll break the thing. I do think it'll be a less than normal tornado season. How's that for some good news?"

Meanwhile, the nation's airlines will try to unwind the mess of more than 2,500 flights canceled nationwide and more than 5,000 that have delayed due to the bad weather.