Half the U.S. population will likely see some effect from the sprawling storm that will move across the country this weekend, meteorologists said.

The major storm is set to hit starting on Jan. 23 and will stretch into the weekend, spreading snow and ice from the southern Plains to the Northeast.

The weather forecast shows a major winter storm could hit Boston this weekend with heavy snow.

Sunday and Monday mornings will bring the coldest temperatures with lows in the teens and wind chills in the single digits to below zero. There may be a brief window for snowfall early Sunday, but drier air will be pushing in and precipitation will be coming to an end around midday Sunday.

Here is the weekend weather forecast from the National Weather Service in Memphis.

Residents are feeling the cold weather, but there will be a slight break Thursday. All eyes are on the weekend with the possibility of a winter storm.

Our forecast depends on the exact track of the low. The GFS and ECMWF differ greatly on their forecast. ECMWF low is further north meaning warmer temps and all rain for everyone. The GFS is further south meaning colder temps and a chance for freezing rain.

A sharp drop in temperatures could cause snow or ice to persist into next week, according to the National Weather Service.