Winter Storm Fern Paralyzes United States And Canada

As Winter Storm Fern barrels across North America, millions of Americans and Canadians are bracing for what forecasters are calling a historic and potentially crippling blast of snow, ice, and arctic cold. From the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, and deep into the Midwest and Southern Plains, the storm’s impact is being felt in nearly every facet of daily life—empty grocery shelves, canceled flights, school closures, and a frantic rush to prepare homes and communities for the days ahead.

Grocery stores across the United States have been scenes of near-panic, with shelves stripped bare of essentials like milk, bread, and eggs. Megan Monroe-Evans, an Alabama resident, captured the urgency in a viral TikTok video, showing barren refrigerators and noting, “The weather man mentioned a possibility of ice and snow and this is what we here in the south do… buy all the milk, bread and eggs. Like WTF.” According to The New York Post, similar scenes played out in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia, though the Northeast—despite forecasts of up to two feet of snow—reported fewer such shortages, at least initially.

As the storm, officially named Winter Storm Fern, began to sweep eastward on Friday, January 23, 2026, the nation’s infrastructure was put to the test. Cities from New Jersey to Ohio scrambled to stockpile road salt, only to find supplies running dangerously low. Mayor Brian C. Wahler of Piscataway, New Jersey, told The New York Times, “This has never happened in the 33 years that I’ve been involved in government.” Piscataway’s salt dome, which holds up to 4,500 tons, was down to just 500 tons—barely enough for a few intersections. “We’re hoping we’re going to get some deliveries, enough to scrape by,” Wahler said, as the city resorted to making its own salt brine and purchasing nearly 10,000 gallons of liquid calcium chloride, an expensive alternative.

The shortage was not limited to New Jersey. Cleveland faced similar challenges due to delayed deliveries from Cargill, the state-contracted salt supplier. “The Department of Public Works placed salt orders in August, but a portion of that salt remains undelivered,” city officials said. Cargill and Compass Minerals, two of the nation’s largest salt producers, acknowledged the high demand and said they were prioritizing municipal clients. “With the significant and early impact of winter weather compared to recent seasons, the entire road salt supply chain continues to experience high demand for de-icing salt,” Compass Minerals stated.

While cities struggled with logistics, airlines scrambled to manage the chaos in the skies. According to FlightAware, more than 4,000 flights scheduled for the weekend of January 24-25 were canceled, with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport hit hardest—over 1,200 flights grounded. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, both based in Texas, canceled nearly 20 percent of their weekend schedules. The breadth of the storm complicated recovery efforts, as Bob Mann, a former airline executive, noted: “The area of impact and the duration of the impact is far longer than the standard weather event.”

Schools from the Northeast to the Deep South announced closures for early next week, with public schools in Houston and Philadelphia among those shutting their doors. Even the Chicago Polar Bear Club, famous for its annual plunge into Lake Michigan, called off its event, stating, “The safety of our Polar Bears has to be our highest priority.” Federal offices in Washington, D.C., were also closed on Monday, January 26, as the capital braced for a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

The storm’s reach extended well into Canada, where the same mass of Arctic air blanketed southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba with temperatures plunging as low as minus 49°F (minus 45°C). “You’re going to feel it right away if you step outside,” warned Danielle Desjardins, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, in an interview with The New York Times. Severe cold weather alerts were issued for cities like Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg, with afternoon highs unlikely to surpass minus 13°F (minus 25°C). The cold air funneled southward, fueling the storm system that would soon blanket much of the United States.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency ahead of what meteorologists projected to be one of the worst storms to hit the state in a decade. “This is a very dangerous combination of heavy snow and extreme, extreme cold temperatures,” Hochul said, urging residents to stock up on groceries, prescriptions, and other essentials. She also reminded New Yorkers of the risks: “You do not want to be the parent who ran out of peanut butter on Sunday night and had to go out into the bitter cold to buy it. I’ve been that parent.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City, facing his first major snowstorm, projected calm and confidence during a live briefing at the city’s emergency management headquarters. “This weekend is going to be cold, it is going to be windy and above all else, it is going to be a weekend where your city is prepared,” he said. More than 2,000 sanitation workers were put on 12-hour shifts, with 700 salt spreaders and 2,200 plows ready to tackle the snow as soon as accumulations reached two inches. Despite the hazardous travel advisory, schools in the city planned to remain open or switch to virtual classes, with parents to be notified by noon on Sunday.

Elsewhere, officials emphasized the importance of checking on vulnerable neighbors, especially older adults and those without stable housing or heating. Dr. Jay Bhatt, an Illinois-based geriatrician, told The New York Times that older adults and children are at higher risk of cold-related harm. “Check in with older family members and neighbors to make sure that their heat is working and that they have enough supplies to avoid unnecessary trips outdoors,” he advised.

Forecasters warned that the combination of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain could be catastrophic in some areas. Caitlin Dirks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Memphis, described the situation as “historic because the just sheer ice totals that we’re forecasting are — they will be crippling for infrastructure.” Even a quarter of an inch of ice, she explained, can lead to widespread power outages and downed tree limbs, while an inch of ice almost guarantees days-long outages and significant damage.

In the South, where winter storms are rare and infrastructure is often unprepared, officials urged residents to take warnings seriously. Texas, still haunted by memories of the 2021 grid failure, reported more than 24,000 power outages early Friday but insisted the grid was “never been stronger, never been more prepared,” according to Governor Greg Abbott.

As the storm continues its march across the continent, meteorologists caution that the worst may not be over. “It is dangerously cold. This Arctic air — an Arctic blast — is coming. It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Tom Kines, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told The New York Post. With up to two feet of snow, bone-chilling temperatures, and the threat of widespread power outages, Winter Storm Fern is poised to leave a mark that will be talked about for years to come.

For now, the message from officials and experts alike is clear: stay inside, prepare for the worst, and look out for one another as this historic storm unfolds.