Winter storm kills 11, leaves 800,000+ without power as cold tightens grip
A massive winter storm has killed at least 11 people and knocked out power to more than 800,000 customers across the U.S. The system is now centered over the Northeast, while extreme cold spreads deeper into the South and Midwest, threatening new outages and prolonging recovery.
The storm’s damage footprint stretches from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. Tennessee and Mississippi remain the hardest-hit states, with hundreds of thousands of customers still in the dark. Utility crews warn repairs could take days because of heavy ice, downed trees, and bitter temperatures that slow restoration work.
Air travel has been crippled. Sunday was the worst day for flight cancellations since the pandemic, with more than 17,000 flights called off overall during the storm. Thousands more cancellations were already logged for Monday as airports across the South and East Coast struggled with ice and snow.
Schools in major cities, including New York City, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, Nashville and Atlanta-area districts, canceled classes or shifted to remote learning.
Deaths rise as extreme cold spreads
Tennessee authorities confirmed three new weather-related deaths, bringing the national toll to at least 11. Fatalities have also been reported in Kansas, New York, Texas, Louisiana and Michigan, with several deaths linked to hypothermia.
Nearly 90 million people are now under extreme cold watches or warnings, according to the National Weather Service. Dozens of temperature records are at risk this week, with wind chills plunging into the minus 20s and 30s across parts of the Midwest and Plains.
Forecasters warn that the cold will linger for days, raising concerns for people without shelter or power. Officials in multiple states urged residents to stay home when possible and conserve heat.
Ice damage cripples the South
Freezing rain and sleet delivered the storm’s most destructive punch across the South. A quarter inch of ice can damage trees and power lines; half an inch can cause catastrophic failures. In several states, ice accumulation reached or exceeded that threshold.
PowerOutage.us reported more than 822,000 customers without electricity early Monday. Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky and South Carolina accounted for the bulk of the outages
Emergency agencies reported widespread road closures, stranded motorists, and hazardous driving conditions. In Louisville, Kentucky, emergency crews handled hundreds of storm-related calls. Virginia State Police said they had responded to more than 170 crashes since the storm began.
The National Weather Service warned that ice damage in some areas could rival hurricane impacts.
“The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon,” said meteorologist Allison Santorelli. “That’s going to hinder recovery efforts.”
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Snow shifts into Northeast corridor
After sweeping through the South, the storm pushed into the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor. Heavy snow fell across Washington, D.C., New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut, with New England next in line.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill urged residents to stay off the roads, warning that icing beneath the snow remains dangerous. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said staying off the streets is “the single most helpful thing” residents can do as plows and salt crews work to reopen major arteries.
Forecasters said hazardous travel conditions will persist along Interstates 70, 80, and 95 as snow continues to pile up and temperatures remain well below normal.
Federal response ramps up as cold lingers
President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has pre-positioned supplies, staff, and search-and-rescue teams.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned that ice damage could trigger additional outages even after precipitation ends.
Wind chills in parts of the Midwest dropped as low as minus 40 degrees. Rhinelander, Wisconsin, recorded its coldest temperature in nearly 30 years.
Officials in Georgia deployed National Guard troops and mobilized highway crews for round-the-clock ice treatment.
What comes next
Forecasters expect the storm system to gradually weaken over the next several days, but snow and extreme cold will linger into early next week.
Heavy ice on power lines, combined with low temperatures and gusty winds, could trigger new outages before repairs are complete. Emergency agencies warned that recovery in the hardest-hit states may stretch into the coming weeks.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
