Winter storm threatens over 160 million in southern and eastern US
A major winter storm advancing across the southern and eastern United States is expected to impact more than 160 million people, according to official warnings.
The National Weather Service stated that the system could bring heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and sleet, beginning in the Southern Rockies on Friday and spreading to the Northeast over the weekend.
In Texas and Oklahoma, where severe winter weather is less common, officials prepared for rain to freeze on roadways by treating streets, deploying additional police and utility crews, and shutting schools on Friday.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire wrote online. “We’re hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.”
Air travel was also disrupted, with more than 800 flights within, entering, or leaving the United States delayed or cancelled by Friday, including services at major hubs such as Dallas, Atlanta, and Oklahoma, FlightAware reported.
The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, warned that travel conditions would deteriorate rapidly from late Friday afternoon and remain hazardous throughout the weekend.
Forecasters said the system could dump up to 30 centimetres (one foot) of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, DC, and into major cities including New York and Boston. The storm is expected to be followed by an intense surge of Arctic air sweeping from the Southern Plains to the Northeast, with wind chills potentially plunging to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 Celsius) in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota, nearing record lows.
The extreme cold is likely to extend the disruption by slowing the melting of snow and ice.
By Friday, emergency declarations had been issued in at least 14 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state was accustomed to harsh winter weather but warned against underestimating the threat. Speaking at a briefing, she said complacency could prove dangerous as the storm combines heavy snowfall with exceptionally low temperatures.
Describing the conditions as extremely hazardous, Hochul announced a statewide emergency declaration, noting it would enable local authorities to access additional state resources.
In Virginia, Governor Abigail Spanberger cautioned residents to be prepared for prolonged power outages and the possibility of being confined to their neighbourhoods for several days.
She also addressed concerns linked to immigration enforcement amid former President Donald Trump’s deportation policies, urging residents not to hesitate in seeking emergency assistance.
“If anyone needs police or medical help, they should call first responders without fear and prioritise the safety of their families, neighbours, and communities,” Spanberger said, advising people to remain indoors and keep warm.
Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesperson Dave Parker urged residents to remain patient and avoid travel once the storm arrives, warning that conditions would be especially challenging.
“We’ve got everything working against us,” he told The Arkansas Advocate, citing a prolonged mix of freezing rain, ice, snow, sleet, and dangerously low temperatures expected to last several days.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) advised Americans to prepare in advance by stocking essential supplies, anticipating school and workplace closures, charging power banks, and ensuring access to necessary medications.
Across states in the storm’s projected path, panic buying surged as many businesses prepared to close. Outside a crowded grocery store in Dallas, Texas, residents Kennedi Mallard and Frank Green told The Associated Press that shelves were already being cleared.
“No water, no eggs, no butter, no ground meat,” Green said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump commented on the extreme cold via his Truth Social platform, using it to question climate change by conflating short-term weather events with long-term climate trends.
“WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING,” Trump wrote.
