A Chilly Challenge: How the US Braces for a Major Winter Storm

A powerful winter storm is sweeping across the United States, causing widespread disruptions and dangerous conditions. The storm, which started in Texas and Oklahoma, has brought heavy snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to many states. More than 130, 000 people have lost power, and thousands of flights have been canceled. The storm is expected to affect most of the eastern half of the country, with some areas receiving a foot of snow or more. Forecasters warn that the cold can be deadly, and people are advised to take the storm seriously. In Lubbock, Texas, officials are urging people to delay travel if possible due to dangerous driving conditions. The storm has also caused thousands of power outages, with over 49, 000 reported in Texas and over 45, 000 in Louisiana. More than a dozen states are reporting outages, and the scale and severity of the storm are historic. The Edison Electric Institute has assembled more than 63, 000 mutual assistance workers from over 40 states to help restore power. President Donald Trump has approved federal emergency disaster declarations in a dozen states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. The Trump administration's response to the storm will be under the microscope after hundreds of thousands of federal employees were fired in 2025 through downsizing. Winter Storm Fern is the name used by The Weather Channel to identify this winter storm. The National Weather Service does not name winter storms, as they are diverse with conditions that evolve throughout the storm's life. The weather service stated in an email to USA TODAY that it has no plans to consider naming winter storms. In parts of South Carolina, Waffle Houses have closed, potentially indicating the severity of an expected ice storm. The Waffle House Index is an informal measure developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to gauge how a region is responding to a disaster. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, inaugurated on a freezing New Year's Day, now has to lead the city through the largest expected snowstorm in years. New Yorkers will look to the 34-year-old's response as an early test of his leadership. The storm has also stranded travelers nationwide, including Shannon Worley and her 11-year-old, whose New York trip to see "Wicked" was unexpectedly extended after American Airlines canceled multiple return flights to Texas. Meanwhile, thousands of U. S. flights have been disrupted, with more than 3, 800 canceled Saturday, and over 8, 400 already scrapped for Sunday as the storm moves east. In Nashville, JC Banks ventured out just before noon to enjoy the snow in the Nipper's Corner neighborhood with her dog Domino, donning a dog-sized jacket over a pink, handmade sweater. As the winter storm moved into the region, she said she planned to hunker down and is ready for whatever comes. The storm is expected to last into Monday across much of the U. S. and into Tuesday in the Northeast. The combination of snow, ice, sleet, and very cold temperatures will likely create hazardous conditions for Monday morning commutes – and travel beyond that. Power outages and tree damage could also affect some spots even later into the week. Across the U. S. on Saturday, more than three-fourths of the nation (40 states) were under advisories or warnings for freezing rain, snow, cold, and extreme cold. The storm's effects stretched from eastern Arizona and Utah eastward to include most or all of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as parts of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.A daily low temperature record was set in Flint, Michigan, on Saturday morning of minus 24 degrees, just one degree warmer than the all-time record low for the observation station, set in January 1976 and February 2015. In Lubbock, Texas, the weather service reported that it is still seeing a combination of sleet and snow on Saturday. "It's exceptionally rare to observe sleet with temperatures this cold, " said meteorologist Harrison Sincavage. In New Mexico, Oklahoma, and eastern Texas, the weather service has received reports of trees and limbs snapping under the weight of the ice, and related power outages. In Idabel, Oklahoma, officials reported a half inch of ice accretion on exposed objects. Extreme winter weather alerts, advisories, and warnings blanketed much of the nation on Saturday. At least 167 million people are under either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory for the weekend. A stretch from New Mexico, through Tennessee, and parts of the Midwest, and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast was covered by winter storm warnings. Across a swath of the South, 20. 3 million people are under an ice storm warning. A large chunk of the United States woke up to bone-chilling temperatures the morning of Saturday, Jan. 24, as well as snow covering the ground. Some areas including parts of Texas and Oklahoma had already seen at least 6 inches of snow fall in the early morning hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Parts of Tennessee including the small city of Ripley located about 55 miles northeast of Memphis had already seen 4 inches of snow, the National Weather Service reported. If you were planning to fly this weekend, get ready for disruptions. Monitor updates from your airline and consider rebooking if you can. If you absolutely have to travel, be prepared to roll with the punches. More flights are likely to get delayed or canceled as the storm progresses. Research your rebooking options and alternative itineraries in advance, and take advantage of airlines' self-service tools to avoid long lines at airport agent desks or long hold times on the phone. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser warned residents to expect the "biggest snowstorm in a decade in DC this weekend. " At least 9 inches of snow are expected in the nation's capital, she said on social media, with a potential for more than 12. She warned the greatest accumulation will be on Saturday night into Sunday morning. An official "snow emergency" declaration will go into effect Saturday at noon and remain until Tuesday morning. States from Michigan to Vermont are facing salt shortages ahead of the upcoming storm, according to reports by local and national outlets. Shortages in Vermont result from the frequency of storms this season, according to reporting by Vermont Public. The lack of salt has forced some towns to scale back ice removal. Forecasters are projecting over 6 inches of snow to fall on areas from New Mexico through the Texas Panhandle and Mississippi Valley, while freezing rain and sleet are expected to pound the Southern Plains, the Mid-South, Tennessee Valley, and the southern Mid-Atlantic. For southern states less equipped for the cold, the forecast sparks fears of a repeat of the 2021 Texas freeze or the bitterly cold winter storm that battered New Orleans in January 2025.