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Winter Storm Blankets 40% of U.S., Triggers Power Outages and Record Cold

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  • The disruption from heavy snowfall could cause widespread power outages and travel disruption
    Image: BBC
    The disruption from heavy snowfall could cause widespread power outages and travel disruption (AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size

Nationwide Scope and Advisory Surge The storm began Saturday morning and quickly spread across roughly two‑fifths of the United States, placing about 213 million people under winter‑weather advisories and 182 million under ice‑and‑snow watches [1][7]. The National Weather Service warned of a “catastrophic” ice band from east Texas to North Carolina, likening potential damage to that of a hurricane [1][2]. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it the largest multi‑state storm in decades at a FEMA press conference [1][2].

Snowfall Extremes and Regional Totals NOAA’s preliminary measurements recorded up to 31 inches at Bonito Lake, Texas, and 23 inches at Crested Butte, Colorado, with Oklahoma City forecast for 22 inches [1][2]. Colorado, New Mexico and Pennsylvania logged the three highest snowfall totals, while Dallas saw only a few inches and ice dominated [2][5]. Some locations in the Plains and Northeast were already reporting six‑to‑twelve inches, with rates exceeding an inch per hour in spots [4][14].

Power Outages and Aviation Chaos Hundreds of thousands lost electricity, especially in Tennessee and Mississippi, while power‑outage trackers indicated widespread disruptions [3][4][5]. FlightAware recorded roughly 12,000 canceled flights and nearly 20,000 delayed, with airlines cancelling over 3,200 flights on Saturday alone [3][6][14]. The storm forced school closures across the Midwest and prompted pre‑positioned FEMA meals, blankets and generators [7][10][11].

Arctic Air Drives Record Cold Arctic air surging from Canada pushed wind chills below –40 °F in the Midwest and as low as –49 °F in Copenhagen, New York, with some areas forecast to break –50 °F wind‑chill records [3][4][16][19]. Watertown, New York logged a historic –34 °F, while sub‑zero temperatures persisted into Monday, heightening frostbite risk [3][6]. The extreme cold is expected to linger in the eastern U.S. into next week [6][19].

Federal and State Emergency Mobilizations President Donald Trump declared emergencies in at least a dozen states, enabling FEMA teams to deploy search‑and‑rescue units, meals, blankets and generators [3][7]. Governors in Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and others issued emergency orders, mobilizing National Guard units and stockpiling salt, sand and ice‑melting chemicals [6][8][14][15][17]. Major cities such as New York and Boston activated snow‑removal fleets and transit plans to keep essential services running [6][10][14].

Sources

Timeline

Dec 11, 2025 – The National Weather Service issues winter storm alerts for 13 states, forecasting up to 5 inches of snow in Buffalo, NY, severe icing threats to aviation in the Midwest, and school closures that prompt tax‑deadline extensions [13].

Dec 22, 2025 – NWS advisories sweep the Northeast ahead of Christmas, warning of light snow turning to a wintry mix with possible freezing rain, moderate‑to‑heavy snow and low visibility in Maine, and urging travelers to delay trips and drive cautiously on icy surfaces [12].

Jan 1, 2026 – Six‑state winter storm warnings launch, projecting snowfall of up to 4 feet in isolated bands, near‑zero visibility, and power‑outage risks; Gov. Kathy Hochul tells residents to avoid unnecessary travel and prepares plow and utility crews for the event [11].

Jan 17, 2026 – A winter storm blankets the Midwest and East Coast, producing whiteout conditions in Cleveland, wind chills below zero from the Plains to the Northeast, and up to 4 inches of snow from the Florida Panhandle to Maine; forecasters cite the Jan 2025 Florida Panhandle storm as a recent precedent [19].

Jan 20, 2026 – Meteorologists warn that an Arctic air mass colliding with Gulf moisture will spawn a widespread ice storm from Texas to the Carolinas, with an atmospheric river feeding heavy ice and snow; officials in Mississippi deploy 200,000 gallons of ice‑melting chemicals, citing the state’s worst ice event since 1994 [18][24][28].

Jan 21, 2026 – Texas issues statewide winter storm watches, marking the season’s first substantial winter event with 4‑10 inches of snow/ice and wind chills in the single‑digit °F; Gov. Greg Abbott pledges “no expectation whatsoever” of a repeat of the 2021 grid collapse, while the Weather Prediction Center expands the storm’s projected track northward and Stephanie Abrams describes it as “plan‑changing” [9][10].

Jan 22, 2026 – An Arctic cold wave threatens 160 million people across 30 states, prompting emergency declarations in Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina and warning of wind chills below –50 °F; the Weather Channel names the system “Winter Storm Fern” as the NWS issues watches for dozens of states and an ice‑storm warning for NC, SC and northeast GA [2][7][15][17].

Jan 23, 2026 – The storm places 182 million people under ice‑and‑snow watches, forces school closures in the Midwest, cancels over 1,000 flights, and drives wind chills to –40 °F; FEMA prepositions 7 million meals, 600 k blankets and 300 generators, while President Trump declares federal emergencies for at least a dozen states and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem calls it “the largest storm we’ve seen in decades” [16][14][21][22][23].

Jan 24, 2026 – The system begins Friday with heavy snow and freezing rain, exposing over 200 million Americans to “extremely dangerous” conditions; governors in Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina activate emergencies, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani deploys 1,600 plows, 700 salt spreaders and 2,200 sanitation workers, and NWS meteorologists Rich Otto and Tony Fracasso warn travel will be “nearly impossible” as airlines cancel more than 3,200 flights Saturday and 4,800 Sunday [1][6].

Jan 25, 2026 – The historic winter storm spreads heavy snow (6‑12 inches) and damaging ice across the Plains, Ohio Valley, Mid‑Atlantic and Northeast, triggering hundreds of thousands of power outages and prompting CNN to track the evolving impacts as the system is expected to wrap up on Monday [3].

Jan 26, 2026 – The storm blankets roughly 40 % of the United States, putting 213 million people under winter‑weather advisories and creating a catastrophic ice band from east Texas to North Carolina that forecasters compare to a hurricane; DHS Secretary Noem reiterates it is the largest multi‑state storm in decades, NOAA records snowfall up to 31 inches in Texas, and a deep Arctic air mass keeps temperatures well below freezing through the weekend [20][25].

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