As the effects of a deadly winter storm linger, the extreme cold in parts of the United States from Texas to New England doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon.
The massive storm has already dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the country, disrupting travel and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power in eastern and southern states. Widespread subzero temperatures and wind chills are now expected to continue affecting millions of Americans through late January.
Authorities reported at least 14 deaths over the weekend as frigid temperatures spread across the eastern two-thirds of the country. More than 750,000 power outages were reported as of Monday morning.
The National Weather Service announced Monday morning that heavy snow is expected from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, with up to 18 inches expected to fall in parts of New England. Forecasters also predicted that “catastrophic ice effects” would likely linger, leading to extended power outages.
The Bureau of Meteorology said “severe cold and dangerously cold air” is expected from the southern plains to the northeast, causing “prolonged hazardous travel and infrastructure impacts” throughout this week. Forecasters said dangerous wind chills of 50 degrees below zero and “below normal” temperatures could persist into early February.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that falling temperatures and wind chills pose life-threatening risks such as hypothermia and frostbite, which could become even more dangerous if the power outage lasts longer. Extreme cold remains the leading cause of weather-related deaths across the United States
Here’s what you need to know about winter weather.
A man believed to be in his 60s died after suffering an emergency while shoveling snow in Marshfield, Fire Department spokesman Thomas Corbo said.
The call on Sunday, Jan. 25, was one of several the town’s first responders responded to as the winter storm dumped mountains of snow across the country. No other information about the man was immediately available, according to the Patriot Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The death toll from the winter storm has so far increased to at least 14 people.
-Peter Blandino and Hannah Morse, The Patriot Ledger
More than a foot of snow had fallen in major cities in the Northeast as of Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
In New York City, 11.4 inches was measured in Central Park as of midnight on January 26th. Elsewhere in New York, up to 17 inches of rain fell in the western part of the state, according to the National Weather Service.
According to the National Weather Service, 15 inches of snow had fallen in Boston as of 10 p.m. local time on January 25.
Washington, D.C., had recorded about 9 inches of snow by 7 p.m. on January 25th.
See detailed snowfall amounts nationwide here.
-Melina Khan
More than 3,700 flights in and out of the United States were canceled Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
The tracker said the airports with the most cancellations were Boston, New York City, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, North Carolina.
As of 7 a.m. ET, Boston Logan International Airport reported more than 500 cancellations and John F. Kennedy Airport reported more than 440 cancellations.
The weather service says the heavy snow, ice and cold weather isn’t over for some people yet.
“As a result of the storm, communities from the Southern Plains to the Northeast will battle bitter cold, which will hamper cleanup efforts, linger impacts on infrastructure, and lead to several days of dangerous travel,” the weather service said. “Please continue to follow the guidance of your local authorities.”
The weather service said snowfall totals of more than 1 foot are expected in the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with totals as high as 2 feet in the interior Northeast and parts of New England. Ice will also continue to affect parts of the South Central, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions.
As frigid temperatures continue to expand across the eastern two-thirds of the country throughout this week, the National Weather Service said the coldest winds will be in the Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and parts of the mid-Atlantic.
There were about 1 million power outages across the United States as of early Sunday afternoon, according to USA TODAY’s power outage tracking information.
By Monday morning, more than 750,000 homes and businesses remained without power. As of 6 a.m. ET, the states reporting the most power outages were Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Follow us for updates on which parts of the country have lost power.
At least 14 people died over the weekend due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures, authorities said. The cold weather is expected to continue into this week, raising concerns about people without electricity or shelter.
The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed Sunday that two men in northwest Louisiana died from hypothermia related to the winter storm.
At least five people “were found dead outside” in New York City over the weekend, Mayor Zoran Mamdani said at a press conference on Sunday. He said the causes of their deaths were still under investigation.
The mayor of Austin, Texas, announced Sunday the region’s first death related to the winter storm. Mayor Kirk Watson said in a post on X that the death was “exposure related.”
A major crash on Interstate 10 in Kimble County, Texas, closed the highway for several hours late Saturday, according to the Texas Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety. One person was killed and eight others were injured in the incident, MySA and the San Antonio Express-News reported.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said it is assisting motorists across the state with weather-related crashes. On Saturday, Lt. Bill Miller reported that officers have already responded to more than 160 driver assistance incidents and more than 50 crashes that resulted in 18 injuries and one death.
A 17-year-old boy died Saturday in a sledding accident in central Arkansas, the Saline County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to USA TODAY. The boy was being towed by an all-terrain vehicle when he collided with a tree and was seriously injured.
The body of a missing University of Michigan student was found Saturday and identified as 19-year-old Lukas Mattsson. According to the Ann Arbor Police Department, Mattson was last seen walking alone outside “without a coat” around 1 a.m. local time on Friday.
Police said the boy was found after nearly 20 hours of searching by authorities in “extremely cold weather.” The cause of death has not yet been determined, but police said there were no “obvious signs of trauma” and no foul play was suspected.
The body of a Kansas woman who was last seen late Friday and reported missing early Saturday has been found in a wooded area in Emporia, according to the Emporia Police Department. Emporia is a small city located more than 100 miles southwest of Kansas City.
Sunday’s update said police believe Rebecca Lauber, 28, “may have died of hypothermia early in her disappearance due to being covered in snow from Saturday’s heavy snowstorm.”
At least four states – Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey – announced Sunday that all state offices would be closed starting Monday. Schools in major cities across the country are canceling classes or moving to remote learning as the work week begins.
New York City officials announced Monday that schools will be closed and classes will be held remotely. In Texas, the Houston Independent School District and the Dallas Independent School District announced Monday they would close their schools and facilities.
School districts in the Atlanta metropolitan area, including Gwinnett County, Fulton County and Decatur City Schools, announced Monday that classes will be held remotely. Meanwhile, classes in DeKalb County schools have been canceled for Monday.
School districts in Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore also announced closures Monday. In Tennessee, Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced all schools would be closed Monday due to “hazardous conditions,” and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools announced its schools and offices would be closed Monday and Tuesday.
-James Powell
Forecasters said heavy snow will continue to cause widespread transportation disruption and road closures, while ice will cause prolonged power outages, widespread tree damage and hazardous travel conditions.
Sunday saw the most flight cancellations across the country since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to available data. More than 10,900 U.S. flights were canceled and more than 3,400 were delayed as of Sunday afternoon, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
Contributors: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Nathan Diller, Eve Chen, Zach Wichter
