United States natural gas prices during the storm By the afternoon of January 24, over 135,000 power outages were reported. Almost 700,000 were without power by the morning of January 25. By mid-day, that number was over 1 million, primarily in Texas, Louisiana, the
Mississippi Delta, and the southern
Ohio River basin. That number still rested around 700,000 by mid-day on January 26.
Meteorologists from the
National Weather Service estimated that there were around 300 million people under winter precipitation and/or cold warnings or advisories. By mid-morning of January 26, over half of the contiguous United States was covered by snow. January 25 was set to go down as one of the days with the most weather-related flight cancellations in US history, with more than 10,000 cancellations by midday. With over 11,000 by end of day, it became the worst day for cancellations since March 30, 2020, at the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of
Amtrak trains were also cancelled, with some routes being impacted up to a week after the storm had passed.
Southwest Bonito Lake, New Mexico, recorded of snow. The snow in New Mexico led to 32 crashes, of which seven involved injuries. Many roadways in
Texas were closed due to icy conditions. Two
18-wheelers became stuck on a ramp on
I-40, requiring them to be towed. Icy roads in
Houston led to a few roads closing. A 56-year-old man was killed in a multi-vehicle crash in
Kimble County. One person died in
Austin after being exposed to the cold. Two 16-year-old girls in
Frisco were killed after striking a tree while riding a sled pulled by a car. Three young boys were killed after falling through ice on a pond near
Bonham. Two cold-related deaths occurred in
Fort Worth. A
Ponder ISD high school senior student died in a sledding accident. Three were found dead during the cold snap in
Houston. Despite only of snow falling at
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on January25, this was still a daily record. The snowfall at the airport caused the
Dallas Mavericks to get stuck on the tarmac, forcing them to postpone their game against the
Milwaukee Bucks.
ERCOT had forecasted an electricity load of 85 GW and a high power price, but the load only peaked at 75.6 GW, and at usual power price. Many schools in
Central Texas re-opened on January 28, and in
North Texas on January 29.
Oklahoma City recorded of snow on January 24, which broke the previous daily snowfall record set in 1948. A woman was killed in a sledding accident in Oklahoma City on January 25. In
Saline County, a 17-year-old boy was killed after striking a tree while riding a sled pulled by an ATV. Over 1,000flights were cancelled at
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in
Atlanta, Georgia for January 25. Significant ice accumulations were reported throughout the state, with a peak of of ice in
Toccoa. There were a total of nine fatalities in
Louisiana, five of which were caused by hypothermia. Two deaths occurred in
Caddo Parish, with an additional two fatalities in
DeSoto Parish due to
carbon monoxide poisoning as well as an
oxygen concentrator failure from the regional power outage. The vast majority of school districts, universities, and municipal governments in Louisiana were closed due to the storm, with many institutions in north Louisiana remaining closed through January30. The lowest temperature of the storm in Louisiana was in
Shreveport, where it reached .
Alexandria had the highest wind gust of the state at . Governor Jeff Landry toured north Louisiana by helicopter on January27 to assess the damage. Phillip May, CEO of
Entergy, told the over 51,000 customers in Louisiana without power since Saturday, January 24 that full power restoration would not be until at least January 31. On January 31, Entergy announced full power restoration would not be until February 5 after high winds caused further repair delays.
I-20 suffered multi-day backups lasting into the end of the week. The
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency confirmed 30 deaths in
Mississippi. Almost 300,000 customers lost power in Mississippi alone due to the ice storm. The
University of Mississippi in
Oxford was set remain closed through at least February8. Over 400 traffic accidents were reported in
North Carolina during the storm, with portions of
I-26 and
I-85 closing. In
Buncombe County, a 31-year-old man died from hypothermia-related causes, while two people died in
South Carolina, in
Greenwood and
Laurens counties, respectively, from the extreme cold. The city of
Nashville, Tennessee, set a new precipitation record on January24, with of precipitation. Some of that was freezing rain, leading to the worst ice storm in decades for the region. Additionally,
Nashville Electric Service recorded the highest number of outages at one time in its history, peaking at 230,000. The state as a whole still recorded more than 250,000 outages by January 26, the highest number of any state by that time. A total of 29 fatalities was confirmed by the
Tennessee Department of Health. A driver died in a single-vehicle crash in
Dyersburg. A
Brownsville man suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow. Two other individuals died amid the storm, one an 11-year-old in
Crockett County, the other in
Obion County. There was a total of two fatalities in Obion County. Six fatalities occurred in
Shelby County.
Davidson and
Knox counties both had three fatalities.
Fayette,
Hardin,
Hawkins,
Henderson, and
Hickman counties had two fatalities each.
Cheatham,
Hancock, and
Johnson had one fatality each. As many as 300,000 people were estimated to have lost power as a result of damaging ice accumulation. Numerous other accidents were reported; officials stated that residents should stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Severe weather A line of severe storms produced widespread wind damage along with several suspected tornadoes in southern
Alabama, southwestern
Georgia, and the
Florida Panhandle on January25 with 5 simultaneous
tornado warnings at its peak. Five tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Florida, one of which was rated
EF2.
Midwest |223x223px Eastern Iowa experienced wind chill values below . In Iowa, a 17-year-old died and two adults aged 24 and 25 were injured in
Jefferson County after winter weather conditions caused the teenager to lose control of her car. A 51-year-old man died from cold exposure in
Des Moines.
Kansas City International Airport set a daily record with on January 24, breaking the previous record set in 1956.
Wichita, Kansas, also picked up a daily record of snow, at . A 28-year-old woman died in
Emporia after venturing out into the storm from a bar.
Burchard, Nebraska, received of snow. During the frigid conditions leading up to the storm, a 19-year-old college student was found dead in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, after going missing without a coat in frigid conditions. Elsewhere in Michigan,
Grand Rapids recorded a low temperature of on the morning of January 24, which was the coldest temperature recorded in the area since 1994. That same morning,
Flint recorded a low temperature of , just one degree above the all-time record low for the area.|234x234pxBy the morning of January 25, states such as Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio saw snow accumulation of up to . Treacherous road conditions in the wake of the storm there forced the
Columbus Blue Jackets to postpone their game against the
Los Angeles Kings to March 9. One person who was plowing snow in
Dayton was killed after he was run over by a snow plow vehicle, while a snowmobile driver in
Fowler Township was killed after he was struck by a salt truck. The
Indiana Department of Homeland Security reported 13 storm-related fatalities. Cold temperatures resulted the deaths of three in
Indianapolis. A vehicular accident in the city resulted in one dead. Fatal crashes occurred in
Whitley County,
Elkhart,
Huntington County,
St. Joseph County, and
LaPorte County. In
Evansville, a woman was found dead in an SUV. Two died of carbon monoxide poisoning in
Fulton County. A person died of hypothermia in
Montgomery County. A 64-year-old public works employee in
Bartlett, Illinois, was killed after he was struck by a
Metra train while clearing snow in the early morning hours of January 26. A 17-year-old was killed in a crash on
SR 13 in
Elkhart County, Indiana, during icy conditions.
Kentucky reported 22 storm-related fatalities, including a 72-year-old woman who died from hypothermia related to the extreme cold. Parts of Kentucky reported up to of snow. There was a fatality from a weather-related crash in
Frederick County. The number of crashes rose to 440 by January 26 at 4 a.m.
Dulles International Airport recorded of snow. The snowy conditions also forced the express lanes on
I-95 and
I-395 to close.
Virginia State Police reported a total of 506 crashes and 38 injuries. Icy conditions resulted in the closure of
New River Gorge National Park. The
president of the
West Virginia Senate reported an absence of
quorum on January 26, with only 4 senators in attendance.
Appalachian Power, which services large portions of southern West Virginia,
Wheeling, and southwestern Virginia, recorded 46,000 outages amid the storm. The number of outages stood at roughly 12,000 state-wide by January 26, and 5,700 by mid-morning the following day. Among the most heavily impacted areas were
Kanawha,
Lincoln,
Roane,
Clay,
Nicholas,
Boone and
Webster counties. About ten percent of Lincoln County residents lost power during the ice storm. An unnamed coal-fired power plant was left idle in advance of and amid the storm due to a change in the bidding process put forward by the
regional transmission authority PJM. Public criticism voiced as a result of this choice led to discussion among state representatives of potentially leaving the organization entirely. On January 25,
Maryland State Police responded to a rollover crash on
I-695 in
Baltimore County. The
Baltimore/Washington International Airport in
Maryland saw of snow while
Clarksburg saw by 9 a.m. on January 26. All state offices were closed that day as well. A private snowplow struck a man just before 1 p.m. in
Anne Arundel County, causing non-life-threatening injuries. In
Washington D.C., the district picked up of snow and ice accumulation. As a result, federal offices were closed on January 26. All flights were grounded out of
Reagan National Airport on January 25, resuming the following day. The snowstorm also forced classes to be cancelled in Washington D.C. from January 26–28, and school openings were delayed on January 29–30. Meanwhile,
Pittsburgh saw its largest snowfall since the
February 5-6, 2010 North American blizzard, totaling of snow in the city. However, many areas throughout the region received well over a foot, and some areas received over . This came as Pittsburgh’s snowplow fleet was hampered with much of the snowplow fleet needing repaired, causing a state of emergency to be issued the following morning as officials urged drivers to avoid driving if possible, and to stick to the main roads. Farther east, an avalanche was recorded in
Duryea, Pennsylvania, due to the snowstorm. In
Philadelphia, of snow fell, their largest total since the
January 2016 United States blizzard.
Lehigh Valley International Airport saw of snow, breaking the previous record of from 1988. Three elderly residents of
Lehigh County died after experiencing medical emergencies while shoveling snow. A 67-year-old man in
Verona, New Jersey, also died after having a medical emergency while shoveling snow. Numerous businesses in Philadelphia recorded significantly less business then usual due to the storm. Schools in Philadelphia were also closed from January 26–28, before finally reopening on January 29. covered by the snow|left|289x289pxOn January 25, there were eleven suspected weather-related fatalities reported in
New York, with exact causes not yet disclosed. By January 31st, the Mayor's Office confirmed that as many as 13 people had died on the streets of New York from
exposure, most if not all of whom were
homeless and/or suffering from
mental illness. Mayor
Zohran Mamdani stated that city outreach workers were continuing to identify, check in on, and offer assistance to potential at-risk individuals, while the city's
Department of Homeless Services said that "no one who is homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a code blue will be denied." A 60-year-old retired
New York State Police officer died while attempting to shovel snow near a church in
Floral Park.
Bridgeport had its seventh snowiest day on record, dating back to 1948. Public libraries in the city were said to remain closed on January 26. The
Citi Bike service shut down on at noon on January 25 in
New York City due to the hazardous weather. It was reopened at 10 a.m. on January 26. Several cities in
Upstate New York, such as
Albany,
Binghamton and
Rochester had record snowfall for January 25. The heavy snow led to travel bans for both
Ulster County and
Duchess County. wearing
snowshoes crosses
First Avenue in
Midtown Manhattan. A snowplow truck struck and killed a woman in
Norwood, Massachusetts, while walking with her husband on January 25. By 8 p.m.
Massachusetts State Police responded to 149 crashes as well as 234 disabled vehicles. Seven were injured due to the crashes. 493 flights arriving and departing
Logan International Airport were cancelled by 10:30 p.m. on January 25. On January 26, over 500 flights were cancelled. Many areas received over of snow by early afternoon, with in
Sterling. By 2 p.m. on January 26, of snow had been recorded at Logan International. The last time
Boston saw a winter storm of or more was
January 29, 2022. Logan International Airport would receive a total of of snow, the eighth highest snow accumulation on record for Boston.
Gloucester saw of snow. Between January 25 and January 26 at 4 p.m.,
Massachusetts State Police responded 222 crashes, 12 of which had injuries. The department also reported 402 disabled vehicles, 13 motorist assists, seven vehicle fires, and four abandoned vehicles. Further north, nearly of snow fell in the
New Hampshire Seacoast. Between 1 p.m. on January 25 and 9 p.m. on January 26,
New Hampshire State Troopers responded to 46 crashes, seven causing injuries, as well as assisted 77 that went off the road and roughly 38 additional motorists. In total, they responded to over 160 weather-related calls. The state police also reduced speed limits on several interstates and two turnpikes. Over of snow was reported in
Kittery, Maine. Further north in the state, a
Bombardier Challenger 650 carrying six people
crashed in the process of takeoff at
Bangor International Airport near
Bangor during winter weather conditions caused by the snowstorm, killing all occupants. The cause of the accident is currently unknown.
Canada Central Snow began in southern
Ontario on January 25. Over 560 flights were cancelled by 3pm at
Toronto Pearson International Airport, which reported its largest single-day snowfall since records began in 1937, receiving a total of and a total of of snow accumulated in
Downtown Toronto. Thirty-three flights were cancelled at the
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. A potent
lake-enhanced snow band stalled over much of Toronto for several hours, prompting
Toronto to activate its major snow response plan for the second time in 2026 just prior to 5pm. The
Ontario Provincial Police responded to around 100 car crashes over 24 hours.
A Bombardier Global 6500 also skidded off the taxiway after landing at
Pearson Airport; no injuries were reported. By 5:30 p.m., roughly fell in parts of the core of Toronto. This caused all
Greater Toronto Area Schools and Boards to close. Many post-secondary institutions also closed notably,
University of Toronto,
York University, and
Toronto Metropolitan University. In
Waterloo, snow and road conditions contributed to two accidents on the
Highway 7 ramp on January 26. The driver of the former had minor injuries while the latter resulted in a fatality. Schools and buses resumed operations on January 27. Further east, of snow was recorded at both
Ottawa and
Montreal. Two women died in Montreal from the extreme cold during a power outage that occurred at the same time.
Atlantic Snow fell beginning late on January 25 and until the morning of January 27 across the
Maritimes. Southern
New Brunswick saw of snow, with estimates of in
Grand Manan. Northern and western parts of
Nova Scotia saw of snow. The
Halifax area received while
Sluice Point recorded of snow. All schools were closed on January 27 as well. All schools were cancelled on January 27. Offices opened at 1 p.m. in the
West Prince area while offices elsewhere remained closed for January 27. Some health services were suspended or delayed. Two customers were without power in Prince Edward Island at 12:45 p.m.
Marine Atlantic cancelled two sailing on January 27. A
Bay Ferries departure was delayed. Snow covered bench at Meadowland Park - 20260125 212925753.jpg|Park bench half immersed in snow in
Brampton, Ontario Snow covered compost bins - 20260126 184934334.jpg|
Compost bins covered with snow Main Street, Brampton - 20260125 160440097.jpg|Reduced visibility in Brampton, Ontario
Mexico Winds in Tamaulipas reached up to . Temperatures in
Nuevo Laredo and
Guerrero reached . White-out rains and strong winds occurred in the
Yucatán Peninsula on January 26. of rain fell in parts of
Cancun, resulting in flooding. The passage of the cold front caused the temperatures in the city dropped from to . Arctic air from the storm caused the temperature to further drop from at midday to at night. At least 98 flights to
Cancun International were cancelled. ==See also==