A massive winter storm sweeping across the United States has knocked out electricity to close to a million homes and businesses as ice, snow, sleet, and frigid temperatures batter large swaths of the country. The storm, affecting more than two thousand miles from the Southern Plains through the Southeast and up into the Northeast, has overwhelmed infrastructure, toppled trees and power lines, and crippled travel and daily life.
The worst impacts have been in southern and central states, where heavy ice accumulation has caused widespread outages. Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, and several other states have reported hundreds of thousands of customers without power, leaving families in the dark amid dangerous cold. The ice buildup on power grids and falling tree limbs has made both travel and power restoration efforts hazardous, with utility crews struggling to keep up as temperatures plunge and conditions worsen.
Forecasters say the storm is far from over. Heavy snow and freezing rain are expected to continue through Monday in many regions, prolonging hazardous conditions and increasing the risk of additional outages. Bitterly cold air behind the storm will keep roads treacherous and could delay recovery efforts even after the worst weather passes. Travel has already been severely disrupted, with thousands of flight cancellations and delays reported across major airports.
Communities from the Southern Plains to the Northeast are coping with subzero wind chills, paralyzing snowpack, and dangerously slick surfaces. In New England, snowfall totals could reach up to 18 inches in some areas. In the South, ice has accumulated enough to bring down limbs and power infrastructure, compounding the already serious situation. Emergency declarations have been issued in numerous states as local officials work to manage the impact on residents and critical services.
Officials are urging everyone in affected areas to stay home, conserve heat and power where possible, and prepare for extended disruptions. With extremely cold conditions expected to linger, recovery in many areas could take several days or longer. The combination of widespread power outages, dangerous travel conditions, and the ongoing deep freeze makes this one of the most impactful winter storms in recent memory.
