Historic Winter Storm in the U.S. Leaves 21 Dead

A massive ice and snow storm that has affected two-thirds of the United States left several people dead and caused power outages affecting nearly 900,000 homes during the day.

A major winter storm advancing this Monday (January 26, 2026) through the central and southern United States left at least 21 dead and caused flight cancellations, nearly one million homes without electricity, and thousands of grounded planes, along with calls to stay home as a precaution. Authorities warned that an air mass from the Arctic will cause temperatures to drop to dangerously low levels for several more days. A state of emergency was declared in Washington and about twenty states.

Considered by meteorologists as one of the worst winter episodes in recent decades in the United States, the storm caused intense snowfall and ice accumulation with potentially "catastrophic" consequences, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

In the state of Texas, authorities confirmed three deaths, including a 16-year-old minor who died in a sledding accident.

Two other people died of hypothermia in Louisiana, according to the state's Department of Health.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported that five people were found dead outdoors this weekend amid freezing temperatures.

"Although we still do not know the causes of these deaths, there is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold and the vulnerability of many residents, particularly homeless New Yorkers," the mayor said at a press conference on Sunday.

"The impacts of snow/sleet will persist well into next week, with rounds of refreezing that will keep surfaces icy and dangerous for both driving and walking," the NWS noted.

Power Outages for Nearly 900,000 Customers

Ice wreaked havoc on household electricity, especially in the southern United States. The most affected state was Tennessee, where about 250,000 customers, approximately 9% of the state, remained without power Sunday night, according to poweroutage.us reports so far.

More than 157,000 customers were left without electricity in Mississippi and more than 123,000 in Louisiana.

Worst Day of Flight Cancellations Since the Pandemic

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the major storm caused Sunday to be the worst day for flight cancellations since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with more than 11,000 cancellations and 17,000 delays.

In an interview with Fox network, Duffy anticipated that for this Monday, there will be approximately 2,600 more flight cancellations.

"We expect it to improve, but what you see is that airlines are dealing with this massive delay," noted the Transportation Secretary, who pointed out that "you have to work through that accumulated delay and maintain the current flight structure for the next few days, whether it's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday."

However, the secretary emphasized that "there is no capacity in the airlines to relocate two and a half days' worth of people on planes."

"One of the problems is that it's going to continue being cold in the south and southwest until Tuesday or Wednesday. But in the midwest and north, it will be until the end of the week before those temperatures start to rise. Therefore, in places where we have ice, it becomes more difficult to return to full functionality quickly," he anticipated.

The Transportation Secretary also noted that not only are airports specifically being affected by this storm, but also U.S. highways.

"New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut have closed their roads to commercial transportation. We have 17 states along this storm belt that have closed lanes to be able to get snowplows through and spread salt, and many of these states have reduced speed limits on our highways," Duffy explained.