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Winter Storm Leaves Up to 30 Dead, Hundreds of Thousands Without Power, and Record Flight Cancellations Across the United States

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Rising Death Toll Across Multiple States The storm has claimed at least 11 lives according to early CNN reporting, while later AP and WBNS updates put the total between 30 and more than a dozen, with fatalities confirmed in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, New York City, Massachusetts, Ohio, Arkansas, and other states [8][6][4]. Several sources describe deaths from hypothermia, snow‑plow accidents, teenage sledding incidents, and unexplained outdoor exposures [7][9][12]. The variance reflects ongoing investigations and delayed reporting from local authorities.

Power Outages Affect Up to 800,000 Customers Power‑outage trackers recorded more than 800,000 households without electricity on Monday morning, while CNN later noted that over half a million remained dark after an initial peak of one million [2][1]. State‑level figures show roughly 300,000 outages in Tennessee, 150,000 in Mississippi, 140,000 in Louisiana, and 115,000‑130,000 in other Southern states [1][3][10][11]. Utilities warn that restoration could take a week or longer in the hardest‑hit areas, with thousands of downed poles and snapped trees hampering crews [3][5][6].

Record Flight Cancellations Disrupt Nationwide Travel Airlines canceled more than 12,000 flights on Sunday, the highest single‑day total since the COVID‑19 pandemic, and total cancellations topped 16,700 by Monday [10][11][4]. FlightAware and Cirium data show 11,000‑19,000 delays and 5,900‑9,000 cancellations on individual days, grounding up to 45 % of U.S. flights on Sunday [7][9][13]. Major hubs in Dallas‑Fort Worth, Newark, and Chicago faced near‑total shutdowns, prompting airlines to stagger recovery over several days [8][14][15].

Extreme Cold Persists as Arctic Air Moves South National Weather Service forecasts project average lows of –9.8 °F (‑12.3 °C) across the contiguous United States, the coldest since January 2014, with wind chills reaching –25 °F (‑31 °C) in the Midwest and Northeast [6][3][4]. Extreme‑cold warnings cover two‑thirds of the nation, threatening frostbite within minutes and prompting governors to issue stay‑home orders and deploy National Guard units [3][5][18]. Officials warn that lingering ice and sub‑zero temperatures could prolong power outages and damage infrastructure for days [2][16].

Federal and State Emergency Measures Mobilized President Trump signed emergency declarations for at least a dozen states, unlocking FEMA supplies, search‑and‑rescue teams, meals, blankets, and generators [19][20][11]. State leaders deployed National Guard personnel, set speed limits, and opened warming stations with cots, blankets, and generators, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana [1][5][18]. Utility regulators granted temporary pollution‑limit waivers to keep generators running, while agencies like the Electric Reliability Council of Texas provided real‑time grid monitoring [11][16].

Sources (20 articles)

Timeline

Jan 22, 2026 – Forecasters issue watches for a massive winter storm expected to sweep from Texas to New England, placing about 160 million people under winter‑weather alerts; Texas utilities mobilize thousands of workers to protect the grid, and early flight cancellations begin as airlines adjust schedules. [27]

Jan 23, 2026 – The storm, now dubbed “Winter Storm Fern,” threatens roughly half of the U.S. population, with 182 million under ice‑and‑snow watches and over 210 million under cold‑weather advisories; governors in more than a dozen states declare emergencies, and President Trump announces FEMA has pre‑positioned 7 million meals, 600 000 blankets and 300 generators. [22]

Jan 23, 2026 – Meteorologists explain that a weakened polar vortex is allowing Arctic air to plunge southward, intensifying the storm’s snow‑and‑ice bands across the Midwest, Mid‑Atlantic and Northeast, and they project snowfall of 10‑14 inches for New York City and 12‑17 inches for Boston. [11]

Jan 23, 2026 – The National Weather Service estimates the system will affect 170 million Americans, with a foot or more of snow expected from Colorado to Boston and wind chills dropping to –15 °F in New England. [15]

Jan 24, 2026 – President Trump signs emergency declarations for ten states (including Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia), unlocking FEMA assistance; FEMA also stocks more than 7 million meals, 600 000 blankets and 300 generators for the storm. [14]

Jan 24, 2026 – Winter Storm Fern forces over 9 000 flight cancellations nationwide and delays thousands more, while 68 000 power outages are reported—including 27 600 in Texas—and the storm brings a band of catastrophic ice from east Texas to North Carolina. [19]

Jan 24, 2026 – Boston declares a cold emergency as forecasters expect up to a foot of snow from Washington, D.C., through New York to Boston, and Connecticut coordinates possible highway travel restrictions. [14]

Jan 25, 2026 – The storm spans roughly 1 500 miles from Texas to the Northeast, dumping up to 31 inches of snow in New Mexico and producing ice accumulations of three‑quarters of an inch in Louisiana, snapping trees and power lines for an estimated 500 000 customers, primarily in Tennessee and Texas. [6]

Jan 25, 2026 – FlightAware logs more than 15 000 U.S. flight cancellations since Saturday, including nearly 10 000 on Sunday, and an additional 1 800 slated for Monday, crippling air travel across major hubs such as New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. [6]

Jan 25, 2026 – President Trump approves emergency declarations for a dozen states, including South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina, activating FEMA resources and unlocking federal aid for storm‑hit regions. [7]

Jan 25, 2026 – Schools in at least six major cities—Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and Memphis—close for Monday as officials cite hazardous travel conditions and power outages. [7]

Jan 25, 2026 – Mississippi reports a rapid rise to about 70 000 power outages as ice accumulations reach 0.75 inches, while Texas sees over 50 000 customers without electricity, pushing the national outage total past 235 000 within 12 hours. [8]

Jan 25, 2026 – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces that thousands of garbage trucks are fitted with plows and more than 2 000 sanitation workers shift to 12‑hour rotations to clear roads once two inches of snow accumulate. [8]

Jan 25, 2026 – The storm produces record snowfall, with Central Park recording 11.4 inches—surpassing the 1905 record—and 15 states reporting at least one foot of accumulation, including a state‑wide high of 31 inches in New Mexico. [5]

Jan 25, 2026 – Over 17 000 flights are canceled, including an 87 % cancellation rate at Newark Airport, marking the worst day for flight cancellations since the COVID‑19 pandemic began. [5]

Jan 25, 2026 – The National Weather Service issues extreme‑cold watches for nearly 90 million people from Texas to New England, warning of life‑threatening temperatures and potential pipe bursts. [5]

Jan 25, 2026 – President Trump signs emergency declarations for at least a dozen states, and FEMA pre‑positions 30 search‑and‑rescue teams, 7 million meals, 600 000 blankets and 300 generators, preparing for prolonged outages. [25]

Jan 26, 2026 – The storm kills at least a dozen people across multiple states, including eight deaths in New York City and a teenage girl in Texas; Governor Maura Healy tells residents “it’s not over yet” as an additional 1‑5 inches of snowfall is expected. [1]

Jan 26, 2026 – More than 200 000 Tennesseans lose power as downed trees and lines block roads, prompting Nashville Rescue Mission’s Joy Flores to describe emergency calls flooding the shelter. [1]

Jan 26, 2026 – FlightAware logs over 19 000 flight delays and 5 900 cancellations on Monday, reflecting the storm’s crippling impact on the national airline network. [1]

Jan 26, 2026 – New York City records 11.4 inches of snow at Central Park and confirms eight fatalities between Friday and Monday as temperatures dip into single digits. [1]

Jan 26, 2026 – The National Weather Service warns of a new system that could hit the eastern United States beginning Friday, bringing very cold temperatures and widespread heavy precipitation. [1]

Jan 26, 2026 – At least seven storm‑related deaths are reported, power outages affect over 800 000 homes, and more than 11 000 flights are canceled nationwide as the storm continues to batter the country. [3]

Jan 26, 2026 – The death toll rises to 11 as fatalities are confirmed in Tennessee, Kansas, New York, Texas, Louisiana and Michigan; more than 800 000 customers remain without electricity and 90 million people stay under extreme‑cold alerts. [5]

Jan 26, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul announces deployment of over 1 600 plows and 114 000 tonnes of salt, urging residents to work from home, stock up on essentials and avoid overexertion while shoveling. [2]

Jan 26, 2026 – Texas Governor Greg Abbott assures the public that “there is no expectation whatsoever” of a grid failure like the 2021 event, emphasizing improved winter‑weather preparedness. [2]

Jan 26, 2026 – The storm’s aftermath pushes nationwide power outages above 800 000, with 150 000+ customers still without electricity in Nashville, 140 000 in Mississippi and 115 000 in Louisiana as the system moves offshore. [16]

Jan 26, 2026 – Up to one inch of ice accumulates across the Deep South, snapping trees and power lines, while Sterling, Massachusetts records a snowfall of 56.4 cm (22 inches). [16]

Jan 27, 2026 – Death toll climbs to at least 30 across multiple states, including snowplow‑run‑over victims in Massachusetts and Ohio, teenage sledding deaths in Arkansas and Texas, and eight New York City pedestrians found outdoors. [18]

Jan 27, 2026 – Power outages affect over 560 000 customers, primarily in the South, as freezing rain continues to snap tree limbs and lines; Mississippi endures its worst ice storm since 1994, prompting deployment of cots, blankets and generators to warming stations. [18]

Jan 27, 2026 – More than 12 000 flight delays and cancellations are recorded nationwide on Monday, with a 45 % cancellation rate on Sunday—the highest since the COVID‑19 pandemic. [20]

Jan 27, 2026 – Extreme‑cold warnings span from Texas to Pennsylvania, with wind chills near –25 °F and an average low of –9.8 °F projected for the contiguous United States, the coldest since January 2014. [17]

Jan 27, 2026 – Forecasters warn that fresh Arctic air will sustain sub‑zero temperatures and that a possible additional winter storm could strike the East Coast over the weekend. [18]

Jan 27, 2026 – Governor Maura Healy reiterates the need for continued vigilance as snow persists, noting an expected additional 1‑5 inches of accumulation. [1]

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