A huge winter storm is about to plague the U.S., even as some areas see record highs

The National Weather Service forecast map for Wednesday calls for a massive winter storm to drop heavy snow on many U.S. states. This image shows only a portion of a storm's broad impact.

If you’re traveling across the U.S. this week, you might feel summer in one spot and winter in another: The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures hitting record highs and lows, while a huge winter storm “will plague a large portion of the country.”

Some areas will see both extremes. After warming up to nearly 80 degrees on Thursday, the Washington, D.C., region will fall below freezing late Friday, with snow and rain likely on Saturday, the NWS says. Many places also will see strong winds.

The weather agency said on Monday that “confidence is high that this winter storm will be extremely disruptive to travel, infrastructure, livestock, and recreation in affected areas.”