Storm Extends From Southwest to Northeast, Dumping Ice and Snow The system covered roughly 1,500‑2,000 miles, moving from New Mexico and Texas through the Southern Plains into Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England, delivering ice, sleet and heavy snow across the region [1][2]. Meteorologists warned that ice accumulations reached up to three‑quarters of an inch in parts of the South while the Northeast prepared for 8‑12 inches of snowfall [2]. The cold air mass behind the storm produced wind chills as low as –40 °F in the Midwest [1].

Power Outages Surge, Affecting Up to One Million Customers Over 1 million customers lost electricity at the storm’s peak, with the worst concentrations in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana [1]. CNN reported a later estimate of roughly 500,000 outages, noting 128,000 in Tennessee and more than 100,000 each in Texas and Mississippi [2]. Nashville’s Davidson County saw power loss for over 65,000 homes, representing more than 40 % of its tracked customers [2]. The discrepancy reflects rapidly changing utility reports as crews worked to restore service.

Air Travel Disrupted by Record‑High Cancellations FlightAware logged more than 15,000 U.S. flight cancellations since Saturday, with nearly 10,000 on Sunday alone, while WBNS recorded over 16,700 cancellations, the highest daily total since the pandemic [1][2]. Major hubs such as Reagan National, Dallas‑Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Atlanta, JFK and LaGuardia faced severe disruptions, and an additional 1,800 flights were slated for cancellation on Monday [2]. The cancellations represented roughly a quarter of typical daily FAA traffic and exceeded 29 % of departing flights on Sunday [1].

Federal and State Emergency Actions Mobilized President Donald Trump declared emergencies for at least a dozen states, prompting FEMA to pre‑position supplies and rescue teams [1]. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urged residents to stay home, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued orders allowing power plants to bypass pollution limits to keep generators running [1]. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill imposed commercial‑vehicle travel restrictions and a 35 mph speed limit, while other states activated similar measures [1].

Extreme Cold and Ice Threaten Further Damage Forecasts called for more than a foot of snow in the Northeast and wind chills down to –40 °F in the Midwest, with a –36 °F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin [1]. Mississippi deployed a historic 200,000 gallons of ice‑melting chemicals, the largest since 1994, as ice accumulations of up to 0.75 inches threatened trees and power lines across the South [2]. Officials in Texas, Louisiana and other states warned residents against travel as the cold persisted [1].