Winter storm threatens thousands of Super Bowl fans' plans: ‘Gauge your travel carefully’

More than 80 million Americans face threats of heavy snow and freezing rain in the northern part of the country this weekend. The adverse forecast, which brought warnings of slippery roads and airport delays, coincides with the Super Bowl weekend, putting the plans of thousands of fans at risk.

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast snowfall throughout Saturday to affect everything from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes. After dropping an accumulation of 4 to 8 inches of snow in some areas, the storm will move eastward.

In the Northeast, heavy snow is expected through Sunday. Northern New York and southern New England could see up to 12 inches of snowfall. "A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will result in light ice accumulations," the NWS also anticipated for the area between the southern Great Lakes and northern Mid-Atlantic.

The agency warned that the Boston area will be the epicenter of the storm:

"We have to hihglight the ice to really drive the point home about saefty on the roads Saturday night into Sunday morning," noted experts from the Weather Channel. "For later Sunday thought, please gauge your Super Bowl party travel very carefully before heading out." In some cases, they added, it may be advisable to celebrate with neighbors or at home.

That weather is just part of a string of five icy storms that will hit the eastern half of the United States in just two weeks. While the first one touched down on Wednesday and fizzled out on Thursday, the second is this weekend's storm. The next will arrive Monday afternoon, with more expected throughout the week.

According to CNN Weather, some areas like Boston and New York could accumulate more snow in the next few days than in the last two winters combined.