US authorities have been warning for days of one of the most severe winter storms in recent years.
Pedestrians cross the street on Broadway during a winter storm in Nashville.
Highway 67 is covered in snow in Dallas.
Numerous states have declared states of emergency in order to be able to more quickly mobilize funds and personnel in case of need.
More than half of the US population is affected by the onset of winter.
A winter storm crosses the United States
Deserted streets in New York on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
US authorities have been warning for days of one of the most severe winter storms in recent years.
Pedestrians cross the street on Broadway during a winter storm in Nashville.
Highway 67 is covered in snow in Dallas.
Numerous states have declared states of emergency in order to be able to more quickly mobilize funds and personnel in case of need.
More than half of the US population is affected by the onset of winter.
The winter storm that weather services and authorities have been warning about for days has reached the United States. Snow is falling starting from Texas, in the south, up to New York, then northeast. At least 500,000 families are without power and ice makes roads impassable.
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Table of Contents
- The winter storm that has been expected for days has reached the United States.
- Snow is falling starting from Texas, in the south, up to New York, then northeast. Many roads are covered in ice.
- Around 570,000 families are without power.
- Half the US population is struggling with the growing consequences of extreme winter weather – nearly 190 million people, according to officials.
- A state of emergency has been declared in at least 18 states and the capital Washington to mobilize emergency resources and services.
After days of warnings and forecasts, the winter storm has reached the United States. Heavy snowfall, ice and extremely low temperatures in some areas are causing chaos on the roads and power outages.
Half the US population is struggling with the growing consequences of extreme winter weather — nearly 190 million people, according to authorities.
Meanwhile, the number of power outages continues to rise: Nationwide, more than 570,000 households were already without power in the early hours of Sunday, according to data from the poweroutage.us portal. Southern and Midwestern states, where the storm began as early as Friday afternoon, were hit hard, including Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
As the storm continues to move eastward, the weather presents a major challenge for travelers. CNN reports that 14,000 flights were canceled over the weekend.
Highways were also partially closed due to dangerous road conditions. The broadcaster reported several incidents.
Low temperatures are also threatening: NBC News reported that some parts of the country felt -35 degrees Celsius. This is unusually cold, even for this time of year.
The persistent cold also threatens to paralyze some areas of the country in the coming days. Authorities have urged people not to leave their homes, if possible, and not to use their cars.
At least 18 states have declared states of emergency, including New York, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri.
Major cities on the East Coast are preparing
In Washington, the public was asked to prepare flashlights and charge their cell phones. In New York, centers have opened in all five boroughs to warm residents, according to NBC News.
The media spoke of a “monstrous storm”. “The next ten days of winter in the United States will be the worst in the last 40 years,” the meteorologist warned Ryan Maue in the X online service.
Storm chasers, who normally chase tornadoes, are now looking for the winter exception and come across a meteorologist who skates to work, for example.
30 centimeters of snow expected in New York City
According to meteorologists, the storm is expected to move towards the northeastern United States and bring about 30 centimeters of snow from Washington to New York and Boston. Upstate New York, temperatures dropped to minus 34 degrees Celsius just before dawn after days of heavy snow.
Temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius have been recorded in the Midwest. At such temperatures, frostbite can occur within ten minutes.
In Bismarck, North Dakota, where the perceived temperature was -41 degrees, Colin Cross He bundled up in long pants, two long-sleeved shirts, a jacket, hat, gloves and boots while cleaning a vacant apartment in the apartment complex where he works.
“I’ve been here a while and my brain has completely shut down,” Cross said.
Archive image: David J. Phillip/AP/dpa
The US government has put nearly 30 search and rescue teams on alert. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), more than seven million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators have been distributed in the area expected to be affected by the storm.
Prepare emergency shelters
“Millions of people are affected by catastrophic ice and snow conditions,” CNN wrote Saturday evening (local time). US media published images of empty supermarket shelves and prepared emergency shelters.
Archive image: Cara Anna/AP/dpa
“It’s a dangerous combination of a lot of snow and extremely low temperatures,” the New York governor said Kathy Hochul.
By declaring a state of emergency, the United States can mobilize relief funds and personnel much more quickly if needed.
The storm is expected to stretch over a distance of about 3,000 kilometers from New Mexico in the southwest to Maine in the northeast over the weekend, the weather service warned.
Swiss cancels several flights as a precaution
The Swiss airline Swiss has canceled several flights as a precaution. The company is monitoring the situation and will further adjust the flight schedule if necessary, it said on Friday evening.
Swiss also announced that there will be flight delays or cancellations at several airports on the East Coast of the United States and in Canada over the weekend. Two flights for Saturday were therefore eliminated, one from Zurich to Chicago and one from Chicago to Zurich.
For Sunday, the Lufthansa subsidiary grounded three planes bound for New York and one returning to Zurich. Additionally, flights from Zurich to Boston, Newark and Washington D.C. have also been canceled Swiss has also canceled five flights for Monday: one each from New York to Zurich and Geneva, one each from Newark and Boston to Zurich and one from Washington to Zurich.
In total, approximately 2,600 passengers were affected by the flight disruptions. A spokeswoman for Swiss said, upon request, that the company greatly regrets the inconvenience caused to the affected passengers, who would be informed directly and, if necessary, assisted in rebooking alternative travel options.
