Winter Storm Fern is about to slam 230 million Americans. Here’s what stores and restaurants typically stay open during severe weather

A sprawling winter storm is expected to snarl travel and disrupt daily life for hundreds of millions of Americans all the way from the Midwest through the northern East Coast. Heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain could potentially hit 34 states and some 230 million people, according to the Weather Channel as of Friday afternoon.

This much snow could even make it challenging for the most well-prepared Northerners and Midwesterners who are used to wintry weather, as travel will prove difficult.