Many across the United States endured another punishing night of subfreezing temperatures and widespread power outages as a colossal winter storm dumped more snow on the Northeast on Monday, Jan. 26, while large parts of the South remained locked under a dangerous glaze of ice. At least 29 deaths were reported in states battered by extreme cold, snow and ice, according to officials.
The sprawling storm system laid down more than 30 centimeters of snow across a roughly 2,100-kilometer swath stretching from Arkansas to New England, paralyzing roads, grounding flights and forcing mass school closures. The National Weather Service said areas north of Pittsburgh received up to 50 centimeters of snow, with wind chills plunging as low as minus 31 degrees Celsius late Monday into Tuesday.
Forecasters warned that relief was not imminent. The weather service said a fresh surge of Arctic air was expected to maintain freezing temperatures in regions already buried under snow and ice. Meteorologists also cautioned that another winter storm could strike parts of the East Coast later this weekend, potentially compounding the damage and disruption.
The rising death toll underscored the storm’s severity. Authorities reported two people were killed after being struck by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio. Fatal sledding accidents claimed the lives of teenagers in Arkansas and Texas. In Kansas, police using bloodhounds found a woman dead and covered in snow after she was last seen leaving a bar without her coat or phone. In New York City, officials said eight people were found dead outdoors during the frigid weekend, though causes of death were still under investigation.
Power outages remained widespread. More than 670,000 customers nationwide were without electricity Monday evening, according to poweroutage.com. Most outages were concentrated in the South, where freezing rain over the weekend snapped tree limbs and power lines, leaving northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee especially hard-hit.
Mississippi officials described the situation as the state’s worst ice storm since 1994. Emergency crews scrambled to deliver cots, blankets, bottled water and generators to warming centers as residents faced prolonged outages amid bitter cold.
At the University of Mississippi, most students hunkered down without power as the Oxford campus remained encased in ice. The university cancelled classes for the entire week. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill said fallen trees, limbs and power lines littered streets across the city, saying on social media that it “looks like a tornado went down every street.”
Local resident Tim Phillips, a real estate agent, said heavy, falling branches damaged his new garage, shattered a window and cut power to his home. He estimated that about half of his neighbors suffered damage to homes or vehicles. “It’s just one of those things that you try to prepare for,” Phillips said. “But this one was just unreal.”
The storm also wreaked havoc on air travel. More than 11,000 U.S. flights were delayed or cancelled nationwide on Monday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. On Sunday, 45 percent of U.S. flights were cancelled, the highest daily cancellation rate since the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.
In the Northeast, light to moderate snow continued to fall across parts of New England through Monday evening. New York City recorded its snowiest day in years, with neighborhoods reporting between 20 and 38 centimeters of snow. While public schools closed, about 500,000 students were required to attend online classes, reflecting how traditional snow days have largely disappeared since remote learning expanded during the pandemic.
As the storm moved east, intense cold followed in its wake. Much of the Midwest, South and Northeast awoke to subzero temperatures Monday. Forecasters said the contiguous United States was on track to experience its coldest average low temperature since January 2014.
In the Nashville, Tennessee, area, power was restored to thousands of homes and businesses, but more than 170,000 customers still lacked electricity after a frigid night. Hotels quickly filled with residents seeking warmth. Alex Murray booked a hotel room to ensure his family could safely store breast milk for their six-month-old daughter. “We were really fortunate,” Murray said, noting that many others lacked the means to escape cold, dark homes.
Authorities across affected states urged residents to avoid travel, check on vulnerable neighbors and take precautions against the ongoing cold as the nation braced for more winter weather ahead.
