US: A massive winter storm sweeping across the eastern United States has left more than 700,000 homes and businesses without power and forced the cancellation of over 10,000 flights.
Forecasters warned that heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain, and severe cold would affect the eastern two-thirds of the nation from Sunday into the coming week. The brutal conditions have already turned deadly. Three people were found dead on the streets of New York City on Saturday, with local reports linking the deaths to extreme cold exposure.
The National Weather Service said parts of New England could receive up to 18 inches of snow, while areas across the Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio and Tennessee valleys may see significant ice buildup. Heavy rain is also expected in the Lower Mississippi Valley and parts of the Tennessee Valley. After the storm passes, bitter cold and dangerous wind chills are forecast from the Southern Plains to the Northeast.
President Donald Trump described the storm as historic and approved federal emergency disaster declarations for several states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. Authorities urged residents to remain indoors and take precautions against the cold.
Seventeen states and Washington, DC declared weather emergencies as power outages continued to climb. Tennessee alone reported nearly 250,000 customers without electricity, while Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas each recorded outages exceeding 100,000. Utility crews were deployed across affected regions to restore power as quickly as possible.
To reduce the risk of widespread blackouts, the Department of Energy authorised emergency measures allowing grid operators in Texas and the mid-Atlantic region to deploy backup power resources beyond normal regulatory limits.
Air traffic in the US now compared to same time last week. About a 2,000 flight difference between the images as airlines have canceled more than 11,000 total flights today because of the widespread winter storms. pic.twitter.com/ZcxkZYPnrp
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 25, 2026
Travel disruptions mounted as airlines cancelled thousands of flights. Nearly 9,600 flights scheduled for Sunday were grounded, following more than 4,000 cancellations on Saturday. Early estimates also showed more than 1,800 cancellations for Monday. Airlines warned passengers to expect last-minute changes as conditions deteriorate, particularly across the South and East Coast.
Snow and ice accumulation have already been reported across several states, with parts of Arkansas seeing heavy snowfall mixed with sleet, and significant ice buildup recorded in Louisiana. Forecasters also warned that record low temperatures could spread deeper into the Great Plains by Monday.
Electric grid operators and emergency agencies remain on high alert, warning that the combination of ice, snow, and extreme cold could cause prolonged disruptions in some areas as the storm continues its slow and wide-reaching path.
