A life-threatening winter storm brought hazardous conditions to a vast stretch of the United States on Sunday, from Texas to New England, prompting authorities to warn people to stay off the roads, as well as triggering widespread flight cancellations and power outages.
The storm delivered snow, sleet and freezing rain across the region, while officials cautioned that an Arctic air mass following the system would drive temperatures dangerously low for several days, prolonging disruptions to daily life.
“The snow and sleet impacts will linger well into next week, with rounds of refreezing keeping surfaces icy and hazardous for both driving and walking for the foreseeable future,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
The first storm-related deaths were also reported on Sunday. Louisiana’s health department confirmed that two people had died from hypothermia.
In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outdoors over the weekend in freezing conditions. While he did not confirm the deaths were weather-related, he told reporters, “There is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold.”
The tracking site PowerOutage.com reported more than one million customers without electricity as of Sunday afternoon, primarily in the southern US, where the storm intensified on Saturday.
In Tennessee, where ice has downed power lines, more than 300,000 homes and businesses were without power. Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia are less accustomed to such conditions; each reported over 100,000 outages.
The outages were particularly dangerous as the South faced treacherous cold that the NWS warned could break records.
Authorities from Texas to North Carolina and New York urged residents to remain indoors due to the hazardous conditions.
“Stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” Texas’s Emergency Management Division posted on X.
On Sunday, the storm moved into the northeast, dumping snow and sleet on densely populated cities including Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
At least 20 states, along with the US capital, Washington, declared states of emergency.
Washington residents awoke to several inches of snow covering streets and pavements, followed by heavy sleet. Federal offices were closed preemptively on Monday.
Several major airports in Washington, Philadelphia and New York cancelled almost all flights for the day. Flight tracking site FlightAware reported more than 11,000 flights cancelled on Sunday alone, adding to over 4,000 the day before. Nearly 2,500 Monday flights have already been scrapped.
President Donald Trump, who remained at the White House during the storm, wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday: “We will continue to monitor and stay in touch with all states in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!”
Polar vortex
The severe storm is the result of a stretched polar vortex—an Arctic region of cold, low-pressure air that normally forms a compact, circular system but can occasionally stretch into an oval shape, sending frigid air spilling across North America.
Scientists say the increasing frequency of such events may be linked to climate change, though debate continues and natural variability also plays a role.
Trump, who has questioned climate science and rolled back green energy policies, also cast doubt on the broader implications, posting: “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???”
The NWS warned that heavy ice could cause “long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions,” including in states unaccustomed to severe winter weather.
Authorities cautioned that life-threatening cold could persist for a week after the storm, particularly in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, where wind chill values were forecast to reach as low as -50°F (-45°C). Such temperatures can cause frostbite within minutes.
