Monster winter storm sweeps US, over 9,000 flights cancelled over weekend

A massive winter storm has swept across the United States, bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Rocky Mountains to the Eastern Seaboard, with more than 200 million Americans expected to face unusually harsh winter conditions in the days ahead.

The sprawling system is forecast to barrel through much of the country, creating “extremely dangerous” conditions. More than a dozen states have declared weather emergencies as heavy snow, freezing rain and bitter Arctic air grip large swathes of the nation.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the state was under a state of emergency as the storm intensified, urging residents to stay off roads and prepare for prolonged power outages.

FLIGHTS CANCELLED, AIRLINES ISSUE TRAVEL WAIVERS

Travel disruptions have already mounted. More than 3,200 flights within, into or out of the US were cancelled for Saturday, along with over 4,800 for Sunday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Later updates showed more than 9,000 flights scheduled over the weekend had been cancelled nationwide, with nearly 6,000 called off for Sunday alone.

Delta Air Lines said on Saturday it had made additional flight cancellations for Atlanta and along the US East Coast, including at its hubs in Boston and New York, as it continued to adjust schedules due to winter storm Fern. Ice accumulation is expected to affect Atlanta on Sunday, along with significant snowfall in the Northeast beginning Sunday afternoon, the airline said.

Delta urged passengers travelling over the weekend to reschedule their flights, warning of cancellations across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, including Nashville and Raleigh–Durham. The airline said slow operations could trigger further delays and complicate rebooking during one of the busiest winter travel periods.

Major hubs such as Dallas and Chicago were among the worst affected, with airlines issuing travel waivers and advising passengers to closely monitor schedules.

AIR INDIA CANCELS US-BOUND FLIGHTS

Air India has cancelled all its flights to and from New York and Newark on January 25 and 26 due to the severe winter storm.

In a travel advisory, the airline said heavy snowfall is expected across New York, New Jersey and adjoining areas from early Sunday morning through Monday, a situation likely to cause major disruption to flight operations.

Air India has advised passengers to check the status of their flights and make alternative arrangements as required.

MOST INTENSE STORM OF THE SEASON

Experts described the storm as the most intense and expansive of the season so far. “This is a mean storm,” said a US Weather Prediction Centre official, underscoring the combined threat of heavy snowfall and plunging temperatures across the eastern two-thirds of the country.

Early signs of the storm emerged on Friday across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, where snow fell as Arctic air surged southward. Forecasters warned that the system’s full impact would unfold over the weekend, stretching from the southern Rockies through New England.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm, ice storm and extreme cold warnings for regions home to roughly 140 million people, later expanding alerts to cover more than 200 million residents. Snowfall could exceed a foot in parts of the Rockies, Plains, mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with disruptions likely to last for days.

‘CATASTROPHIC’ ICE THREAT

Forecasters are particularly concerned about “catastrophic” ice accumulations expected along the southern edge of the snow belt. The highest risk areas include the southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley and parts of the Southeast, where sleet and freezing rain could blanket large regions.

Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee face the most severe icing threat, with up to an inch of ice forecast — enough to snap trees, bring down power lines and make roads impassable. “That level of ice can cause damage comparable to a hurricane,” officials warned.

Ice and sleet that hit northern Texas overnight moved toward central parts of the state on Saturday, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said, cautioning that dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills would persist into Monday.

About 68,000 power outages were reported across the country by Sunday morning, including more than 27,600 in Texas. Utility companies warned that outages could last days as ice-coated trees and power lines continued to fall even after the storm weakens.

ARCTIC COLD GRIPS MIDWEST AND PLAINS

Wind chill temperatures plunged below minus 10 degrees Celsius in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota, while the Midwest recorded wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius), raising the risk of frostbite within minutes. “Exposure to this kind of cold without proper protection can lead to hypothermia very, very quickly,” officials warned.

In Bismarck, North Dakota, where the wind chill hit minus 41, apartment worker Colin Cross said the extreme cold was overwhelming. “I’ve been here awhile and my brain stopped working,” he said.

Sub-zero temperatures are expected to spread as far south as the lower Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic, potentially shattering long-standing cold records.

CITIES BRACE, EVENTS AND CLASSES CANCELLED

Across the Midwest and South, schools were closed as bitter cold set in. Philadelphia announced schools would be shut on Monday, while universities including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi cancelled classes.

Church services moved online, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville held performances without audiences, and carnival parades in Louisiana were cancelled or rescheduled.

In Washington, DC, where up to 8 inches of snow are forecast, Mayor Muriel Bowser requested National Guard assistance. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the sanitation department was fully mobilised ahead of heavy snowfall.

FEDERAL RESPONSE AND PUBLIC PREPAREDNESS

The US government placed nearly 30 search-and-rescue teams on standby and pre-positioned more than 7 million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

President Donald Trump said his administration was coordinating with state and local officials and that FEMA was “fully prepared to respond”.

Residents across the country rushed to prepare. In Dallas, Maricela Resendiz stocked up on groceries. “Staying in, just being out of the way,” she said.

Shelters and warming centres opened nationwide. In Detroit, Whittni Slater, who had been sleeping in her car, found refuge at a warming centre. “It was very welcoming, very warm,” she said.

Forecasters warned that recovery could be slow even after the storm passes, with lingering ice, deep snow and dangerous cold likely to persist well into next week.