Outages topped 548,000 and later swelled toward 850,000 as ice and snow spread from the South into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
WASHINGTON, DC — A powerful winter storm swept across the South and East on Sunday, cutting electricity to more than 548,000 customers at the outset and disrupting travel from Texas to New England as snow, sleet and freezing rain spread into major population centers.
Officials said the fast-expanding system, named Winter Storm Fern by forecasters, triggered emergency declarations across multiple states and forced mass flight cancellations at several airports. By late morning, utilities reported surging outages in Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, with totals later approaching 850,000 nationwide as temperatures fell and ice accreted on lines and trees. Federal and state agencies activated response plans, and grid operators warned of additional stress as the storm pushed into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, threatening heavier snow bands and blizzard conditions along parts of the I-95 corridor.
As the storm advanced, airports from the Carolinas to New York reduced operations or shut down runways for deicing and plowing. Airlines canceled more than 10,000 flights on Sunday, with near-total shutdowns reported at Washington’s Reagan National and extremely high cancellation rates at airports in Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Traffic officials urged motorists to avoid travel where conditions deteriorated quickly from wet snow to glaze ice. A National Weather Service bulletin said the storm would deliver “catastrophic impacts” in areas under ice storm warnings. “This is expected to be an unusually large and severe winter storm,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Utilities across the South described steadily worsening damage as ice snapped branches onto lines and sleet coated equipment. Early Sunday, Tennessee led the nation in customers out, followed by Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas; Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and portions of West Virginia also saw rising totals. Nashville Electric Service said its crews were working 14- to 16-hour rotations to restore service. Outage trackers showed pockets of restoration as crews reached urban circuits, but rural feeders remained vulnerable to repeat failures as wind gusts added stress to ice-laden spans. Officials said the precise number of customers affected would continue to fluctuate as repairs came online and new damage was reported.
In the Northeast, forecasters warned of heavy snow rates and the potential for 12 to 18 inches in parts of New England, with lesser totals from Pennsylvania through New Jersey and New York as warmer air fueled sleet and freezing rain near the coast. City and county leaders opened warming centers and expanded outreach to vulnerable residents as wind chills fell below zero in some interior locations. Three weather-linked deaths were reported in New York City, authorities said, as first responders handled exposure calls and traffic crashes on slick roads. Crews in Baltimore and Philadelphia prepared for a transition from snow to ice that could complicate plowing and extend restoration work if tree damage increased.
At the federal level, the president approved emergency declarations in a dozen states to speed debris removal and reimburse overtime for storm response. Seventeen governors and the District of Columbia issued their own weather emergencies, enabling statewide travel restrictions, activation of the National Guard and utility mutual-aid deployments. Grid operators in Texas and across the mid-Atlantic said they had readied additional generation and were coordinating with natural gas suppliers to manage peak demand, part of winterization steps advanced since the deadly 2021 freeze. The Department of Energy authorized limited emergency waivers to keep power flowing if conditions worsened.
Rail and transit agencies in the storm’s path scaled back service. Amtrak curtailed multiple Northeast Corridor trains, and commuter lines from Atlanta to Boston warned of slower operations amid ice and drifting snow. At airports, carriers preemptively consolidated schedules to limit stranded aircraft and crews. Delta and American said they deployed support teams to southern hubs while waiving change fees for travelers whose flights were canceled. Airport authorities focused on runway treatments and deicing fluid supplies, noting that sustained sleet can outpace application cycles and force full closures until precipitation tapers.
Emergency managers stressed that the risk extended beyond the initial snow and ice. Behind the storm, a surge of Arctic air was forecast to lock in subfreezing temperatures through Monday for much of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic, potentially lengthening power restorations where equipment had to be replaced. Public works departments stocked additional road salt and brine to address refreeze on secondary streets. In coastal areas from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod, forecasters flagged minor to moderate coastal flooding at high tide, combined with strong onshore winds and limited visibility for maritime traffic.
By Sunday evening, outage totals remained fluid as linemen chased downed spans in neighborhoods and along rural rights-of-way. “We expect a multiday restoration in the hardest-hit districts,” a Tennessee utility spokesperson said, citing heavy icing on hardwood stands that continued to fall into conductors. Forecasters said snow would persist overnight from upstate New York into northern New England, with a sharp gradient of sleet and freezing rain closer to the coast. While some southern counties reported partial restorations, officials cautioned that fresh bands could renew damage before temperatures moderate.
As of late Sunday, the storm’s center was tracking northeast, with more widespread snow forecast into Monday and wind chills in the single digits for parts of the Mid-Atlantic. Officials said the next major update on outages and travel operations would come Monday morning, when crews assess overnight damage and airlines post revised schedules.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.