Winter storm path: Live updates as brutal mix of snow, ice hits millions



A fierce winter storm continued its trek across the United States on Saturday after dumping inches of snow on cities including from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

More than 130,000 utility customers in the storm's path were without power.

The storm, expected to be the most significant so far this winter season, will impact most of the nation east of the Rocky Mountains with snow and ice, and usher in some of the coldest temperatures seen in years, forecasters have said. Americans in most of the eastern half of the country were under extreme winter weather alerts on Saturday.

The storm began out of Texas and Oklahoma Friday evening, hitting the region with heavy sleet and snow. Forecasters have warned of "catastrophic" ice accumulation. On Saturday, the system pushed towards Virginia, with the forecast calling for a foot of snow or more to be dumped on parts of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic, while New England endured double-digit subzero temperatures.

"Take this storm seriously, folks," the National Weather Service warned in statements on social media. "The cold can be deadly."

By Saturday evening, forecasters in Lubbock, Texas, continued to stress the dangerous driving conditions and, if possible, urged delaying all travel amid an ongoing winter storm warning. The country also faced thousands of weekend flights being scrapped; Catholic faith leaders from Arkansas to Washington, D.C., giving special permission to miss Mass; Trump administration officials telling employees to skip coming into work; and even ice hockey teams being forced to reschedule.

“What makes this storm especially dangerous is the duration of impacts. Some locations could endure 24 hours or more of freezing rain, ice, or snow," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

Here’s what to know about the weekend’s storm expected to hit tens of millions of Americans.

See maps showing path of winter storm

More than 170 million people remain under winter weather warnings and advisories for Sunday, Jan. 25, according to the National Weather Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But a break in the storm conditions – but not the cold – is in sight for the eastern U.S.

These maps and graphics from the National Weather Service and its Weather Prediction Center reveal what's still in the forecast, how much snow or ice you might get and when your chances for storm impacts will ease.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver

Thousands of power outages reported amid 'historic' winter storm

Power outages are piling up across the country, with over 49,000 reported in Texas and over 45,000 reported in Louisiana as of 9 p.m. CT. More than a dozen states are reporting outages during the winter storm on Saturday, Jan. 24.

More than 130,000 outages were affecting utility customers across the path of the storm as of Saturday evening.

“The scale and severity of this storm are historic, and so is the response,” Drew Maloney, president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, told USA TODAY on Saturday. The Institute represents U.S. investor-owned electric companies.

According to Maloney, more than 63,000 mutual assistance workers have been assembled from more than 40 states and the District of Columbia to stand ready to safely restore power, “even as ice and extreme winter conditions create dangerous challenges."

Maloney and the Edison Electric Institute are not the only ones stepping up to keep people's lights on, as several U.S. electric grid operators upped precautions to avoid rotating blackouts, Reuters reported.

— Jonathan Limehouse & Dinah Voyles Pulver

Trump approves federal disaster declarations for a dozen states

On Saturday, President Donald Trump called the winter storm "historic," as he approved federal emergency disaster declarations in South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia.

How the Trump administration responds to the storm will be under the microscope after hundreds of thousands of federal employees were fired in 2025 through downsizing. The president, who returned to the White House on Jan. 22 after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is expected to remain in Washington through the weekend rather than travel to his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Florida.

"We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

— USA TODAY Staff

What is Winter Storm Fern?

Winter Storm Fern is the name used by The Weather Channel to identify this winter storm in its coverage and social media posts. While the TV network names storms that reach a certain threshold, the National Weather Service does not name winter storms.

Hurricanes and tropical cyclones are named using the well-known international system for identifying those storms because it’s not uncommon to have more than one hurricane or tropical storm spinning around at any given time. Without names, it could be confusing for meteorologists and people who might be in harm’s way.

The weather service stated in an email to USA TODAY that it has no plans to consider naming winter storms.

“Unlike tropical storms, winter storms are diverse with conditions that evolve throughout the storm’s life,” the weather service stated. “That is why our forecasts, watches and warnings focus on specific impacts such as wind conditions, snowfall, ice, temperature, visibility and other impacts.”

The winter weather over the U.S. shows the complexities that make winter storms different from the spinning cyclones that move in one direction. More than 30 states are under at least one kind of weather advisory, but they’re not really all part of the same storm system.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver and Doyle Rice

Waffle Houses close in South Carolina

If Waffle Houses are open, your travel is probably going to be pretty smooth.

But in parts of South Carolina, Waffle Houses have closed on Jan. 24, potentially indicating the severity of an expected ice storm amid the major winter mass moving across a large portion of the United States.

The Waffle House Index is an informal measure developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to gauge how a region is responding to a disaster. The chain, of course, is known for its 24/7 operating capacity.

Reports showed that Greenville, South Carolina, stores were closed amid the storm, and online ordering has been suspended.

— Allie Feinberg

NYC weather a big test for Mayor Mamdani

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, inaugurated on a freezing New Year's Day, now has to lead the city through the largest expected snowstorm in years.

“A snowstorm is for a mayor what foreign policy is for a president,” Mitchell L. Moss, a professor of urban policy at New York University’s Wagner School for Public Service.

New Yorkers will look to the 34-year-old’s response as an early test of his leadership. Experts say residents will think of him when they see their sidewalks, streets, bike lanes and trains across the city. Not all mayors have excelled in the snow, and it’s cost them.

“There have been some famous missteps,” Robin Nagle, anthropologist-in-residence at the Department of Sanitation of New York, said.

— Eduardo Cuevas

Where is the snowstorm now? Snow reported in some Southern and Midwestern states

According to the National Weather Service, more than 4 inches of snow was reported between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. CT in New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee, including as much as 11 inches in Red River, New Mexico, and 7.8 inches in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Freezing rain and ice amounts have also been reported in some states, including as much as .75 inches in Hall Summit, Louisiana and more than a quarter of an inch in locations in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

At about 2 p.m. CT, the weather service radar showed precipitation expanding across the Southern and Central Plains to the mid-South, while moderate to heavy snowfall was moving eastward to Tennessee and the Ohio Valley. At the same time, the Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas region was seeing mixed precipitation of sleet and freezing rain, with many of these areas reporting temperatures in the single digits and teens, the weather service added.

An extreme cold watch was extended southward through Alabama and into the western portion of the Florida Panhandle for late Sunday, Jan. 25, through Monday morning, Jan. 26. The weather service warns wind chill values (a combination of actual temperature and wind) may reach into the single digits inland and the mid-teens at the coast.

— Jonathan Limehouse & Dinah Voyles Pulver

What to do if you lose power during winter storm?

If the powerful winter storm knocks out your electricity, the American Red Cross advises people to be ready with emergency preparedness kits that include coolers, ice, water, flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit, a seven-day supply of medications and more.

You should also keep track of food throughout the duration of the outage. if power is out for less than two hours, perishable food should still be safe to consume. However, after four hours without power, food in the fridge should be thrown away.

Staying warm during a power outage can also be challenge; however, avoiding opening and closing doors can help as it prevents losing heat. Staying in one room with your family and pets is also a strategy to keep warm, as it will help retain body heat. Regardless of how cold it gets, it is not recommended to use a stove or oven to heat your home, as gas ovens pose a dangerous carbon monoxide risk that can lead to poisoning or death.

-Jonathan Limehouse

Stuck on vacation: Storm forces travelers to extend trips

The winter storm has stranded travelers nationwide, including Shannon Worley and her 11-year-old, whose New York trip to see "Wicked" was unexpectedly extended after American Airlines canceled multiple return flights to Texas.

"My daughter’s thrilled, because we can do all the things," Worley said.

"The silver lining would be just extra time here with my daughter,” she added, though getting home remains uncertain. After a third flight was canceled, they continued searching for options.

Meanwhile, thousands of U.S. flights have been disrupted, with more than 3,800 canceled Saturday, and over 8,400 already scrapped for Sunday as the storm moves east.

— Nathan Diller

Nashville residents venture out into the snow

JC Banks ventured out just before noon to enjoy the snow in the Nipper's Corner neighborhood of Nashville with her dog Domino, donning a dog-sized jacket over a pink, handmade sweater.

"He gets cold really easily, but oddly enough he loves the snow," Banks said with a laugh.

As the winter storm moved into the region, she said she planned to hunker down and is ready for whatever comes.

"I am stocked up on hot chocolate and puzzles and tea," she said. "I'm trying to avoid going out on the roads."

-Rachel Wegner, the Tennessean

Where is the winter storm going?

By midday Saturday, snow had been falling in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and into Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Other cities including Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, were among those forecast to see precipitation change into a wintry mix over the afternoon and evening of Saturday, Jan. 24, the National Weather Service said. Snow showers had begun in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Lexington, Kentucky, while freezing rain had begun in Huntsville, Alabama, by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The storm will begin bringing snow to Cleveland about 7 p.m. ET, followed by Pittsburgh. Mixed precipitation is expected to hit Washington and Baltimore about 11 p.m. ET, the NWS said.

After that Philadelphia is expected have heavy snow beginning about 2 a.m. ET Sunday, with New York City forecast to get heavy snow and sleet about 3 a.m. ET Sunday.

-Mike Snider

Where is the winter storm right now? See live weather map

Snow was already falling in the Plains including parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and into Missouri, as well as parts of Texas and Arkansas before noon ET on Saturday. Snow is expected to spread across the country throughout the day on Saturday and into Sunday.

See where the winter storm is now on this radar map:

-Mike Snider

How long is winter storm supposed to last?

The National Weather Service calls the system "a significant long-duration winter storm," which is expected to bring heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the southern Rockies to New England. The storm will last into Monday across much of the U.S. and into Tuesday in the Northeast, the NWS said.

On Monday, more snow is likely over parts of the central and southern High Plains, including Kansas and Oklahoma, along with parts of Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Texas. Cold and very cold temperatures will linger Monday and into the week in much of the U.S., the weather service said.

The combination of snow, ice, sleet and very cold temperatures will likely create hazardous conditions for Monday morning commutes – and travel beyond that. Power outages and tree damage could also affect some spots even later into the week, the NWS said.

“People in the hardest-hit areas should plan to stay home for several days. Every unnecessary trip increases the risk of accidents and puts added strain on emergency responders,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said in a statement. “What makes this storm especially dangerous is the duration of impacts. Some locations could endure 24 hours or more of freezing rain, ice, or snow.”

-Mike Snider

How many states are affected by the winter storm?

Across the U.S. on Saturday, more than three-fourths of the nation (40 states) were under advisories or warnings for freezing rain, snow, cold and extreme cold, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm's effects stretched from eastern Arizona and Utah eastward to include most or all of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as parts of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Wyoming, the NWS said.

The following states have declared a state of emergency tied to the winter storm: Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt activated the state National Guard on Friday to assist stranded motorists and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on Thursday activated state emergency response resources to prepare for the storm.

– Dinah Voyles Pulver and Mike Snider

Daily record cold temperature broken in Michigan

A daily low temperature record was set in Flint, Michigan, on Saturday morning of minus 24 degrees, just one degree warmer than the all-time record low for the observation station, set in January 1976 and February 2015.

-Dinah Voyles Pulver

Sleet, ice and snapping trees in Texas

In Lubbock, Texas the weather service reported that it is still seeing a combination of sleet and snow on Saturday.

“It’s exceptionally rare to observe sleet with temperatures this cold,” said meteorologist Harrison Sincavage.

In New Mexico, Oklahoma and eastern Texas, the weather service has received reports of trees and limbs snapping under the weight of the ice, and related power outages. In Idabel, Oklahoma, officials reported a half inch of ice accretion on exposed objects.

-Dinah Voyles Pulver

Millions of Americans living under extreme weather alerts

Extreme winter weather alerts, advisories and warnings blanketed much of the nation on Saturday. At least 167 million people are under either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory for the weekend.

A stretch from New Mexico, through Tennessee and parts of the Midwest, and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast was covered by winter storm warnings. Across a swath of the South, 20.3 million people are under an ice storm warning.

-Dinah Voyles Pulver

How much snow has fallen so far?

A large chunk of the United States woke up to bone-chilling temperatures the morning of Saturday Jan. 24, as well as snow covering the ground.

Some areas including parts of Texas and Oklahoma had already seen at least 6 inches of snow fall in the early morning hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Parts of Tennessee including the small city of Ripley located about 55 miles northeast of Memphis had already seen 4 inches of snow, the National Weather Service reported.

See the interactive snowfall map:

-Natalie Neysa Alund

What to do if your travel plans get disrupted by weather

If you were planning to fly this weekend, get ready for disruptions. Monitor updates from your airline and consider rebooking if you can.

If you absolutely have to travel, be prepared to roll with the punches. More flights are likely to get delayed or canceled as the storm progresses. Research your rebooking options and alternative itineraries in advance, and take advantage of airlines' self-service tools to avoid long lines at airport agent desks or long hold times on the phone.

"Speed is going to be critical," Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, told USA TODAY in a statement. "We want those who are flying to make alternative plans much sooner rather than later so they ensure they get a rebooking that works best for them. There will not be an endless supply of seats to reaccommodate you on ... there is no time like the present to give yourself the best odds at a decent rebooking."

It's also a good idea to pack extra provisions for yourself if you're heading to the airport this weekend.

Airlines will automatically rebook you on another flight if your flight is canceled. If your flight is canceled for any reason and you choose to no longer fly, Department of Transportation rules require the airline to offer you a refund, regardless of ticket type. Read more.

-Eve Chen, Zach Wichter and Nathan Diller

Where did all the snow go? Why it was dry in some areas overnight

Some regions of the United States woke up to much less snow than predicted, or none at all. Here's why that happened, and why it probably won't last.

In the Middle Tennessee region, many were surprised to wake to dry conditions.

"Light snow is already occurring aloft, but the near surface layer is so dry that it is evaporating before reaching the ground," the National Weather Service office in Nashville said. "That will change during the next couple of hours as the lower atmosphere saturates and enables the snow to reach the ground."

In Oklahoma, meteorologists said dry air "ate" snowfall from Friday for the same reason. Although parts of eastern Oklahoma saw several inches of snow Friday night, the totals were less than the most generous predictions that were made over the past few days.

"Forecast models focus heavily on where snow forms in the clouds. They don’t handle the low-level dry air very well, especially in Arctic air masses like this one. So everything looked like a solid snow setup on paper, but the atmosphere below the clouds was basically 'eating' the snow as it fell. Still have tonight!" Independent Tulsa-based meteorologist Mike Collier said.

-Nicole Young, the Tennessean; Dale Denwalt and Cheyenne Derksen, the Oklahoman

Thousands of flights canceled as snow, ice storm gets underway

More than 3,400 flights in or out of the United States have been canceled so far as of 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to data from FlightAware.com. Airlines began preemptively canceling flights ahead of the storm's impacts to avoid some of the travel chaos over the weekend.

The airport with the most cancellations in the country on Saturday was the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as of about 10:30 a.m.

More than 6,000 flights have already been canceled for Sunday, the site shows.

“Air travel disruptions are escalating quickly. Flight cancellations are surging nationwide as ice and snow spread through major airport hubs," Pydynowski said.

Cancellations are likely to continue rising as the snow and ice storm spreads across the nation. Travelers are advised to plan ahead and take advantage of the airline waivers available.

-Jeanine Santucci

DC mayor warns of 'biggest snowstorm in a decade'

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser warned residents to expect the "biggest snowstorm in a decade in DC this weekend."

At least 9 inches of snow are expected in the nation's capital, she said on social media, with a potential for more than 12. She warned the greatest accumulation will be on Saturday night into Sunday morning. An official "snow emergency" declaration will go into effect Saturday at noon and remain until Tuesday morning.

— Zachary Schermele

Salt shortages reported in some states

States from Michigan to Vermont are facing salt shortages ahead of the upcoming storm, according to reports by local and national outlets.

Shortages in Vermont result from the frequency of storms this season, according to reporting by Vermont Public. The lack of salt has forced some towns to scale back ice removal.

State officials in Michigan also attributed shortages to the severe winter season, CBS News reported. An official from Monroe County, located between Detroit and Ohio, told the news station that local crews used more salt in December than in the past four Decembers combined.

Officials in Cleveland are telling residents that they may not have enough salt for residential streets. Plows will still be assigned to clear neighborhoods, the city said.

Can Southerners handle snow? These famous winter storms hit the South.

Forecasters are projecting over 6 inches of snow to fall on areas from New Mexico through the Texas Panhandle and Mississippi Valley, while freezing rain and sleet are expected to pound the Southern Plains, the Mid-South, Tennessee Valley and the southern Mid-Atlantic.

For southern states less equipped for the cold, the forecast sparks fears of a repeat of the 2021 Texas freeze or the bitterly cold winter storm that battered New Orleans in January 2025.

Meteorologists have, luckily, said they don't expect this weekend's storm to be as devastating as others in recent Southern history. But as thousands of people have taken to prepping for the worst-case scenario, buying out stores and fortifying their homes, here's a look back at how the U.S. South has endured major winter storms of the past.

  • The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950: Nov. 22-30, 1950. Thanksgiving weekend in 1950 was marked by a wintry storm that dumped a deadly amount of snow across the Appalachian region. Heavy snowfall blanketed the area in 30 to 50 inches and, in the case of  Coburn Creek, West Virginia, a whopping 62 inches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

  • Storm of the Century: March 12-15, 1993. This Category 5 storm affected over 100 million people and caused the largest weather-related air travel interruption in the U.S., according to NOAA. The heaviest snow fell from the southern Appalachians to the Canadian border, with some locations reporting over 40 inches. Five feet of snow fell in the Smoky Mountain National Park, while 56 inches fell in Mount LeConte, Tennessee, reported the weather service.

Read more here about past disasters, from the New Year's Snowstorm of 1964 which dropped more than 17 inches of snow on Huntsville, Alabama to the Christmas Coastal Snowstorm of 1989 that saw all-time low temperatures hit coastal North Carolina.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm update: Snow, ice warnings, extreme weather move across US