Winter Storm Fern left roughly 875,000 customers without power as it swept from the West to the Northeast, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain and sustained cold. Several states reported more than 4 inches of snow, and at least 10,000 flights were canceled. Weather alerts at one point covered 37 states and affected about 190 million people. Officials warned that dangerously cold temperatures would persist into next week, prolonging the storm's impacts.
Winter Storm Fern Knocks Out Power for Nearly 875,000 as Snow, Ice and Brutal Cold Spread Across U.S.
Mandel NGAN / AFP via GettyHeavy snow in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Jan. 25
Hundreds of thousands of customers across the United States were left without power this weekend as Winter Storm Fern moved from the West toward the Northeast, bringing widespread snow, freezing rain and dangerously cold temperatures.
Storm Overview and Impacts
PowerOutage.us reported that about 875,000 customers were experiencing outages stretching from Texas through West Virginia as the system churned across the country. Forecasters warned that precipitation would continue to affect parts of the East Coast into Monday, Jan. 26, with additional snow and freezing rain possible.
Several states recorded measurable accumulations — more than 4 inches of snow in Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland, Oklahoma and Virginia — while freezing rain impacted portions of the South, including Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas. NBC News said weather alerts at one point covered 37 states and affected as many as 190 million people. The Associated Press reported at least 10,000 flight cancellations linked to the storm.
Cold Temperatures and Warnings
The National Weather Service warned that extremely low temperatures would persist well beyond the weekend. In a post on X on Jan. 24, the agency said:
"Extremely cold temperatures will expand across the eastern 2/3 of the country this weekend, with very cold weather continuing through much of next week. Take precautions to prepare yourself and your pets for this life-threatening cold!"
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via GettyLaGuardia Airport in New York City on Saturday, Jan. 24.
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter had cautioned before the storm that hundreds of thousands of people could "go without electricity and heat for days" because of the system's scale. AccuWeather meteorologist Emma Belscher added that slow warming would prolong impacts: "Snow and ice will not be quick to melt and can easily refreeze overnight."
Response and Ongoing Recovery
President Donald Trump described the event as "historic" and approved emergency disaster declarations for multiple states in the South and along the East Coast to mobilize resources and assistance. Local authorities and utility crews were working to restore service, open warming centers and assist residents, while officials continued to collect data on power and water outages and any casualties as conditions evolved.
What residents should know: Prepare for extended outages and life-threatening cold — check on vulnerable neighbors, keep pets and family members warm, avoid travel when possible, and follow local emergency guidance.
More complete numbers on outages and damages were still being compiled as crews prioritized safety and power restoration across the hardest-hit areas.
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