A Massive Winter Storm Causes Chaos Across America
A powerful winter storm has unleashed a barrage of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across North America, bringing subzero temperatures and widespread disruption. The storm has caused chaos, with tree branches and power lines snapping under the weight of ice, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity in the southeast.
The National Weather Service warns that the icy conditions will persist into Monday, followed by very low temperatures that could cause 'dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts' for days. The storm's impact is vast, affecting areas from the Ohio Valley to the northeast, and from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and southeast.
'It's a unique storm in its widespread nature,' says meteorologist Allison Santorelli. 'It's affecting areas from New Mexico to Texas and all the way into New England, spanning over 2,000 miles.'
Freezing rain, a supercooled phenomenon, has fallen as liquid but freezes upon impact, adding to the hazardous conditions.
Emergency declarations have been approved by President Donald Trump for at least a dozen states, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioning rescue teams and supplies in numerous states. In New York state, communities near the Canadian border experienced record-breaking subzero temperatures, with Watertown registering -37 degrees Celsius and Copenhagen -45C.
Coping with the storm, construction equipment maker Caterpillar advised employees in Corinth, Mississippi, to stay home on Monday and Tuesday. Residents have described the sound of snapping trees as 'unnerving'.
In Clarksdale, Mississippi, and Nashville, Tennessee, residents have been advised to avoid driving due to heavy snow and sleet. In Nashville, Jami Joe fears for her electricity supply as ice-laden limbs continue to crash around her house.
Icy roads have made travel dangerous, with residents in Columbia, Tennessee, effectively 'locked in' at home. In Manhattan's Upper East Side, January Cotrel enjoyed the fresh snow, praying for more to create a sledding area.
As of Sunday morning, approximately 213 million people were under winter weather warnings, with Tennessee and Mississippi particularly affected. Power outages have impacted hundreds of thousands of customers, and flight cancellations and delays have been widespread, affecting airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey.
The danger will persist after the storm, with bitterly cold temperatures across the eastern two-thirds of the nation, east of the Rockies, causing slow melting of ice and snow, hindering power restoration efforts.
In New York City, at least five people died outside as temperatures plummeted on Saturday, with the cause of their deaths under investigation. Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay inside and off the roads.
Two men died of hypothermia in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, related to the storm. Schools and universities across affected areas have announced cancellations or remote classes on Monday, and the NBA postponed games in Memphis and Milwaukee due to dangerous travel conditions.
The recovery process could take time, with police in Oxford, Mississippi, urging residents to stay home, and utility crews pulled from their jobs overnight due to life-threatening conditions.
Emergency officials in Tennessee have urged motorists to give workers space to treat roads, as crashes have occurred. The Waffle House Index, an informal gauge of weather disaster severity, has been activated in north Georgia, where Waffle House restaurants are closed, indicating severe weather conditions.
