Historic Winter Storm Cripples US Travel, Leaves Over 140 Million Under Warnings
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A massive winter storm is unleashing widespread disruption across the United States, canceling nearly 10,000 flights and leaving over 140 million people – more than 40% of the nation’s population – under winter storm warnings. The system threatens to knock out power, ice over major roadways, and bring conditions rivaling those of a hurricane to several states.
Widespread Impacts from New Mexico to New England
The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting widespread heavy snowfall and a “catastrophic” ice storm stretching from eastern Texas to North Carolina. The severity of the storm has prompted urgent warnings from officials across the country, urging residents to stay home and avoid unneeded travel.
In north Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation released images Saturday of snow-covered roads, emphasizing the dangerous conditions. “It’s happening!” the agency stated in a public message. “If anyone asks you…yes…we want you to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel as the winter storm passes through North Texas this weekend.”
Dangerous Icing conditions Spread
By mid-morning Saturday, a third of Mississippi counties were already reporting ice formation on roads and bridges, according to Scott Simmons, a spokesman for the Mississippi emergency Management Agency. Further west, Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered in snow. Forecasters warn that the damage, particularly in areas experiencing significant icing, could be comparable to that caused by a hurricane.
Ice and sleet began impacting North Texas overnight and continued to spread eastward across the state Saturday, according to the NWS in Fort Worth. Authorities have announced the closure of all schools in Houston on Monday, citing the hazardous conditions. “Dangerous cold temperatures and wind chills are spreading through the area and will remain through Monday,” the agency stated.
In North Dakota, where the wind chill reached -41° C (-41° F), one worker described the need for extensive layering just to perform essential tasks. “I’ve been here a while and my brain has stopped working,” he said.
The storm has dominated conversations across the country, with residents preparing for extended periods of isolation. A grocery store owner in Baltimore noted, “every person who comes in talks about the storm…In some ways, they have done a good job of informing people that a storm is coming, but how to deal with it is another thing.”
The federal government has placed nearly 30 search and rescue teams on alert. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports having over seven million food rations, 600,000 blankets, and 300 generators strategically positioned throughout the affected region. President Donald Trump stated Friday that his administration is coordinating with state and local officials and that “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.” Nine states have requested emergency declarations,with approvals already granted for South Carolina and Virginia. Applications from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia are currently pending.
Recovery efforts will be extensive, as ice accumulation can considerably weaken power lines and tree branches.In at least 11 southern states, the majority of homes rely on electricity for heating, raising concerns about prolonged outages. Five years ago, a severe cold snap crippled Texas’s power grid, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths. State officials have pledged to prevent a recurrence, and utility companies have mobilized thousands of workers.
Disruptions to Daily Life
The storm is causing widespread disruptions to daily life, with churches moving services online and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, holding its Saturday night radio performance without an audience. Carnival parades in louisiana have been canceled or rescheduled, and Philadelphia schools will be closed on Monday. Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. even encouraged students to “have one or two very safe snowball fights.” Several colleges in the South, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi, have also announced class cancellations.At the University of Georgia, students are choosing to shelter in place with friends, despite the risk of power outages. “I prefer to be with my friends,so we can fight together if something happens,” one student explained.
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