Historic Winter Storm Paralyzes U.S. From Texas To Maine

More than half the population of the United States is bracing for a historic winter storm this weekend, as a massive weather system stretches from New Mexico to Maine, promising to paralyze swaths of the South and Northeast with dangerous ice, heavy snow, and bitter cold. According to ABC News and NBC News, over 180 million people are under weather alerts, with nearly 150 million facing some form of winter weather warning through Sunday, January 25, 2026.

The storm, which began Friday afternoon, January 23, with snow and ice in New Mexico and the Texas panhandle, is set to intensify as it moves eastward. By Friday evening, Dallas experienced a wintry mix while Oklahoma City saw its first flakes. Saturday quickly became the most significant day for dangerous icing and heavy snow, especially across the South. By morning, snow and ice stretched from Texas to Arkansas and Tennessee, and by afternoon, the system expanded its icy grip from St. Louis to Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Charleston, West Virginia.

By Saturday evening, January 24, snow and ice blanketed a massive region from New Mexico to the Carolinas. Further south, cities like Dallas, Shreveport, Memphis, and Raleigh found themselves in the crosshairs of a wintry mix or freezing rain. Early Sunday, the storm's reach extended even further, bringing snow from Wichita and Cincinnati to Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. By sunrise, freezing rain was likely in Houston, Memphis, Atlanta, and Raleigh, while by noon, snow was expected to hit New York City. In D.C., the snow was forecast to turn into a wintry mix as the day progressed.

While the precise impact along the Interstate 95 corridor remained uncertain, forecasters agreed that most of New England and the interior Northeast would see all snow from Sunday into early Monday. The National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Winter Storm Severity Index both warned of dangerous travel and infrastructure conditions over the next 72 hours. In the Northeast, a large swath was expected to receive over a foot of snow, with 6 to 12 inches anticipated along the coast from Virginia to southern New England. New York City’s latest forecast showed 8 to 12 inches, while Kentucky’s I-64 corridor, including Louisville and Lexington, braced for 12 to 15 inches or more. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear cautioned residents, "Folks, we are under a state of emergency. The winter storm is moving through Kentucky starting this morning, with areas expecting up to 15 inches of snow, ice accumulation and dangerously cold temperatures. Do not travel, have your alerts on, keep your pets inside and make sure your phones are charged. The ice could cause power outages, so please be aware of where your nearest warming center is." (NBC News)

Throughout the weekend, a wide swath of plowable snow—3 to 6 inches—was forecast from New Mexico through the Ohio Valley and up to Maine. The heaviest snow was expected from the Texas panhandle to southern Missouri and from the Ohio Valley to the Appalachian Mountains and New England. Destructive levels of ice were also in the forecast, particularly from east Texas to central Tennessee and northern Georgia to central Virginia, raising the risk of widespread power outages.

Indeed, tens of thousands of Americans woke up Saturday without power. According to poweroutage.us, more than 50,000 customers were affected, including 17,977 in Texas, 4,495 in Minnesota, and 4,084 in California. Thousands more in Arkansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and even the Virgin Islands were left in the dark as the storm’s icy fingers knocked out electricity. Utility companies across the country, from Dominion Energy in Virginia and North Carolina to National Grid and Eversource in Massachusetts and Con Edison in New York City, mobilized extra crews and warned customers to prepare for significant and potentially prolonged outages. Dominion Energy cautioned that if power does go out, it could take days to restore. The company urged residents to stay away from downed power lines, fully charge devices, and stock up on essential supplies.

The storm’s icy impact was compounded by wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph in areas like upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina, where the combination of ice and wind threatened to bring down trees and power lines. In Charlotte, the ice accumulation forecast reached 0.59 inches, pushing the area into an ice storm warning. The National Weather Service in Greenville warned that scattered power outages occur with over 0.50 inches of ice accretion, and widespread outages become likely above 0.75 inches. Significant icing, including compacted sleet and snow, was expected, with total snow and sleet accumulations between 1 and 3 inches, and ice accumulations between one-half and three-quarters of an inch.

Travelers faced chaos as airlines canceled more than 9,000 flights over the weekend, with estimates of up to 15,000 delays by Sunday. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was hit hardest, followed by Charlotte Douglas and Nashville airports. According to FlightAware, at least 3,259 flights were canceled on Saturday, January 24, with another 5,826 already canceled for Sunday, January 25. The ripple effects were felt nationwide, as stranded passengers scrambled for alternate arrangements and airports struggled to keep up with the deluge of cancellations.

Federal operations were not immune to the storm’s disruptions. The Office of Personnel Management announced Friday night that all federal offices in the Washington, D.C. area would be closed on Monday, January 26, affecting roughly 279,000 federal employees. The notice specified that "maximum telework" would be in effect, with weather and safety leave for those ineligible for remote work. Emergency employees were instructed to report to work unless notified otherwise. OPM Director Scott Kupor took to X to reassure federal workers: "We hope that everyone stays safe (and warm) over the weekend." (ABC News)

In response to the storm’s severity, at least 18 states—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia—along with Washington, D.C., declared states of emergency as of Friday night. This sweeping action enabled local governments to mobilize resources more rapidly and coordinate emergency response efforts.

Electricity and natural gas companies across the affected regions sounded the alarm, urging customers to prepare for outages and make contingency plans. In Massachusetts, National Grid warned that snow buildups could lead to sagging powerlines and tree limbs, while Eversource and Con Edison readied additional crews and coordinated with emergency management agencies. Utility officials emphasized the importance of testing generators ahead of time and keeping emergency kits on hand.

As the storm continued its march across the country, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Winter Storm Severity Index tracked the evolving threat, offering real-time updates on travel and infrastructure risks. The system’s interactive map, updated every two hours, became an essential resource for millions hoping to navigate the treacherous conditions safely.

With the storm showing no signs of relenting as it churned toward the Northeast, communities from Texas to Maine hunkered down, hoping their preparations would be enough to weather this extraordinary event. For now, the nation waits, bundled up and ready, as one of the most significant winter storms in recent memory makes its way across the heart of America.