Winter Storm Threatens Half U.S. with Snow, Ice, Power Outages, Travel Chaos
Updated (2 articles)
Nationwide Alerts Cover Hundreds Of Millions Forecasters placed roughly 177 million people under ice or snow warnings and more than 200 million under cold‑weather advisories, meaning about half the U.S. population faced official alerts as the system moved eastward [1][2].
Arctic Air Triggers Sub‑Zero Temperatures and School Closures A surge of Arctic air spilling south from Canada drove wind chills to minus 40 °F in the Midwest, prompting school closures in states such as Illinois, including Chicago’s district [1][2].
Southern States Treat Roads and Deploy National Guard Texas and Oklahoma transportation departments pretreated highways with salt‑brine solutions, while state troopers canceled days off and National Guard units were positioned to assist stranded motorists [1][2].
Northeast Braces for Foot‑Long Snowfall and Cold Emergency Forecast models called for up to a foot of snow from Washington, D.C., through New York to Boston, where officials declared a cold emergency as wind chills plunged well below zero [1].
Air Travel Faces Thousands of Delays and Cancellations FlightAware reported more than 1,000 flight delays or cancellations on Friday, with an additional projected 1,400 disruptions on Saturday as airports nationwide scrambled to cope with the storm [1][2].
Sources
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1.
WBNS: Winter Storm Bears Down on Half the U.S., Bringing Snow, Ice and Power‑Outage Risk: Provides a detailed multi‑day outlook, quantifies alerts, notes Boston’s cold emergency, and tracks nationwide flight disruptions .
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2.
King5: Winter Storm Bears Down on Half the U.S., Bringing Snow, Ice and Widespread Outages: Highlights grid‑resilience concerns, repeats alert numbers, emphasizes road‑treatment and National Guard deployment, and outlines travel impacts .
Timeline
Prior to 2026 – A severe cold snap in Texas raises concerns about power‑grid resilience, prompting officials to vow not to repeat past failures. [2]
Jan 23, 2026 – Arctic air spills south from Canada, driving wind chills to –40 °F in the Midwest and prompting school closures in Chicago and other districts. [1][2]
Jan 23, 2026 – Boston declares a cold emergency as forecasters predict about a foot of snow from Washington, D.C., to New York and Boston, with wind chills well below zero. [1]
Jan 23, 2026 – Texas and Oklahoma pre‑treat roads with salt brine, cancel trooper days off, deploy National Guard teams, and shift some schools to remote learning to prepare for ice and snow. [1][2]
Jan 23, 2026 – Forecasts place 177 million people under ice or snow warnings and more than 200 million under cold‑weather advisories across the South, Midwest and Northeast. [1][2]
Jan 23, 2026 – Experts warn that the storm’s heavy ice and wind could cause damage comparable to a hurricane, threatening power lines and trees. [2]
Jan 23‑24, 2026 – Over 1,000 flights are delayed or canceled on Friday, with an additional 1,400 expected Saturday as airports brace for the storm’s impact. [1][2]
Jan 24, 2026 – National Guard teams assist stranded drivers while the multi‑day winter storm brings snow, sleet, ice and bone‑chilling temperatures across half the United States, testing infrastructure and emergency response. [1][2]