A sudden lake-effect snow squall triggered a massive multi-vehicle crash on I-196 near Grand Rapids, Michigan, involving more than 100 vehicles, including up to 40 tractor-trailers; injuries were reported but none life-threatening. The same Arctic system pushed snow into the Florida Panhandle and brought dangerously low wind chills in parts of the country. The National Weather Service warned that the cold will spread into the Northeast, southern Plains and mid-Atlantic and could persist through January.
Arctic Blast Sparks 100+ Vehicle Pileup Near Grand Rapids; Snow Reaches Florida
This image taken from video provided by WZZM shows part of a severe multi-car pileup leading Michigan State Police to shut down an interstate south of Grand Rapids Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Ottawa County, Michigan. / Credit: WZZM via AP(Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers)
A sudden lake-effect snow squall produced a long stretch of wrecked vehicles along I-196 near Zeeland Township, close to Grand Rapids, Michigan, while the same Arctic weather pattern pushed unusually cold air and even snow as far south as the Florida Panhandle.
Snow and cold alerts through Wednesday. / Credit: CBS News
Major Multi-Vehicle Crash
Local officials said more than 100 vehicles — including as many as 40 tractor-trailers — were involved in a massive pileup in western Michigan during intense snowfall. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office reported several people were injured, but none sustained life-threatening injuries. Authorities expected I-196 to remain closed for several hours while crews removed wrecked vehicles and cleared the roadway.
The latest snow cover as of Monday. / Credit: CBS News
"It was absolute chaos," said Stephanie Biesboer, who was caught in the collision. "Everyone was everywhere. People out of their cars. People rushing around trying to get the ambulances through."
Widespread Arctic Impact
The crash is one consequence of a broad winter storm sweeping the country. Some communities around the Great Lakes recorded at least 9 inches of snow, CBS News meteorologist Rob Marciano said. The National Weather Service issued alerts for dangerously cold temperatures or potential winter storms across a corridor from northern Minnesota through parts of the Midwest and into the Northeast.
Wind chill forecast for Wednesday morning. / Credit: CBS News
Forecasters warned that freezing temperatures could reach overnight into Tuesday across much of north-central Florida and southeast Georgia. Marciano said more than 200 million people in the U.S. were in the path of the Arctic blasts. Wind chills dropped to around -40° in parts of the North and dipped into the 20s in some Florida locations. The rare system also produced light snow in parts of Alabama and Georgia and even the Florida Panhandle, creating slick and icy driving conditions in some areas.
Outlook
The NWS Weather Prediction Center said the frigid air was expected to spread from the north-central U.S. into the Northeast later in the week, then push into the southern Plains and the mid-Atlantic. The center cautioned that the bitter cold could linger through the rest of January.
Sources: Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, CBS Detroit, CBS News (Rob Marciano), National Weather Service, The Associated Press.
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