Live updates: Death toll rises as storm moves offshore and bitter cold sets in
Snow from this weekend's storm is tapering off, but Arctic air is set to rush in and send temperatures plunging even further across much of the country over the next couple of days.
What we know
- The heaviest snow from this weekend's storm will start moving offshore today, but more than 200 million people are under alerts for severe cold, including almost every state east of the Rockies and outside New England.
- The weather has been blamed for the deaths of at least 13 people: three in Pennsylvania, three in Tennessee, two in Louisiana, two in Texas, one in Kansas, one in Massachusetts and one in Arkansas, according to local officials.
- More than 820,000 energy customers were without power this morning, including more than 250,000 in Tennessee.
- The storm is causing travel chaos with 12,000 flight cancellations yesterday and nearly 4,000 today.
- Snow showers will linger in the Northeast before the system moves off the East Coast, and a few more inches could fall tonight, especially in New England and upstate New York. The Great Lakes, however, can expect lake-effect snow to linger through the next couple of days.
- Freezing rain will continue today for parts of the mid-Atlantic, especially northern North Carolina, southeast Virginia and possibly along the Interstate 95 corridor as far as New York City. Combined with prior icing, this will likely produce dangerous travel conditions and trigger more power outages.
Storm caused most single day flight cancellations since Covid, Duffy says
Yesterday was the largest cancellation day for air travel since March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier today on CNBC. “It was a massive disruption in aviation,” Duffy said.
“Wednesday is our target date to get back to normal,” Duffy said, adding that today is "dig out day."
Today, over 4,000 cancellations have occurred across the country. The transportation secretary said that crews are clearing, salting, and putting sand on runways while airports also face staffing issues. Those who are flying later in the week can expect fuller flights as passengers get rebooked.
For road travel, the Department of Transportation has reduced speed limits in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Duffy said that hours of service regulations for truck drivers have been suspended to give them more time to deliver essential supplies following the storm. “Our truck drivers, we’ve cleared the hours of service for them so they can drive a little bit longer on the roadways that are open, so they can get food, and other critical assets across the country,” Duffy said.
Duffy also addressed power outages during the storm, citing that over a million people lost power and stressing that it will take “slow and steady work to get everybody back online.” The Department of Energy deployed crews across the country in anticipation of ice and sleet, Duffy said. “But again, this has hit 40 states. I mean, this is a massive storm and so it’s just going to take a little bit longer,” he continued.
Goal is for all NYC services to be back by tomorrow, Mamdani says
All New York City services will hopefully be back by tomorrow after many disruptions following yesterday's snowstorm, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a news briefing this morning.
"Our goal is for all services to be fully restored by tomorrow, with all streets cleared, students back in school in person, and our city back to normal, albeit with a lot of snow piled up," he said.
Today, the New York City ferry, buses and subways are operating, but commuters should allow extra time for their commutes, Mamdani said. The Staten Island ferry is operating on a modified schedule every 20 minutes, he added.
Mamdani is continuing to ask residents to stay off the roads as crews continue working on plowing snow off the streets.
Video shows 'kinda scary but cool' vortex of snow and wind in NYC
A swirling vortex of snow and wind surrounded this New Yorker as they stepped outside to grab lunch. Video captured in midtown Manhattan yesterday shows the "kinda scary" conditions of this weekend's storm.
Kentucky requests resources from nearby states after snowstorm impacts
Kentucky is requesting help from nearby states after the entire state was affected by last weekend's snowstorm.
Some parts of the state received up to a foot of snow, while most of central Kentucky was hit with 4 to 6 inches, Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news briefing this morning.
"Ice accumulations were higher than expected and had the biggest impact," Beshear said. "Some areas got over three-quarters of an inch of ice. That’s enough to bring down tree limbs. Even worse, that’s enough to bring down power lines. It’s caused significant power outages and major impacts on our roadways, especially our overpasses."
The state has requested additional resources from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan to help clear roads and make them safe.
Dangerously cold temperatures are expected tomorrow with wind chills reaching as low as minus 20 degrees, Beshear said. More than 137 warming centers have been opened across the state to take in those who need shelter.
"Tomorrow morning being outside for just 10 to 30 minutes could result in hypothermia or frostbite," Beshear warned. "So, we need everyone to take precautions. We need everyone to avoid spending too much time outside, and make sure you bring in those pets, too."
Over 43,000 utility customers remain without power across the state, according to PowerOutages.com. Crews are working to restore power, Beshear said.
Winter storm could have ‘substantial’ drag on Q1 GDP
A major winter storm sweeping across large parts of the U.S. could put noticeable pressure on economic growth early this year.
Economists at Bank of America estimate that Winter Storm Fern could shave roughly 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points off economic growth in the first quarter of 2026. The hit, which the bank described as "substantial," would largely reflect slower consumer spending and broader disruptions tied to severe weather.
The expected storm-related slowdown would follow a period of strong momentum for the U.S. economy after gross domestic product growth, a broad measure of economic activity, reached 4.4% in the third quarter of last year. Early projections from the Atlanta Fed estimate fourth-quarter GDP growth at an even stronger 5.4%.
Bank of America’s estimates draw on historical parallels to Winter Storm Viola, which struck the U.S. in February 2021. In both cases, roughly half the country was placed under a winter weather advisory.
While Viola caused widespread damage in parts of the South and prolonged power outages in Texas, the firm said regions affected by Winter Storm Fern are generally better prepared — even as heavier snowfall in the Northeast introduces new economic risks. During the 2021 storm, consumer spending fell sharply, with card data showing a pronounced dip during the storm week followed by a partial rebound in subsequent weeks.
Bank of America said winter storms typically create a temporary drag on growth, rather than a lasting slowdown. While some output may be permanently lost, economists expect much of the weakness to be offset by stronger activity later in the year, particularly in the second quarter, which runs from April through June.
The firm said it plans to refine its GDP estimates next week once more detailed card spending data becomes available.
Storm death toll rises to 13
Four new confirmed deaths bring the death toll for this weekend's severe weather and extreme cold to 13.
A 17-year-old male in Arkansas died in an ATV accident while participating in snow day activities on Saturday, the Saline County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. "Preliminary information indicates the juvenile was being pulled by an ATV when he struck a tree, resulting in critical injuries," the release said.
The Lehigh County Coroner's Office in Pennsylvania confirmed three deaths from over the weekend, where individuals were reportedly engaged in snow shoveling or snow cleanup prior to experiencing a medical emergency.
The decedents ranged in age from 60 to 84 years old, according to a release from the coroner's office.
"These incidents are consistent with sudden medical events, often cardiac-related, that can occur during strenuous activity such as snow removal, particularly in older adults or those with underlying health conditions," the release explained.
Almost 4,000 flights canceled and 1,842 delayed
Almost 4,000 flights traveling into, from and within the U.S. have been canceled and 1,842 have been delayed today, according to FlightAware.com.
Northeast airports are in the lead, with Boston Logan International Airport accounting for 507 cancellations and 48 delays, John F. Kennedy International Airport with 443 cancellations and 54 delays, and LaGuardia Airport with 428 cancellations and 50 delays.
American Airlines accounts for most of the flight woes, with 654 cancellations and 353 delays.
Millions across U.S. dig out of snow after deadly winter storm
Millions of Americans remain hunkered down after a deadly winter storm barreled across the country, killing at least nine people. Now, the freezing temperatures are putting nearly 200 million under cold alerts. Parts of the country were buried in at least 20 inches of snow while a combination of freezing rain and ice knocked down power lines and left nearly 1 million without power in dangerously cold conditions.
More than 200 million under alerts for severe cold
Though the snow might be on its way out, more than 200 million people are still under cold alerts, touching almost every state east of the Rockies and outside New England.
In Minnesota, wind chills of minus 40 degrees are being recorded in Duluth and minus 26 in Minneapolis, with minus 16 in Chicago and minus 26 further south in St. Louis, Missouri.
Record temperature lows are expected this morning across Texas and into the mid-South, including Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, in Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Little Rock, Arkansas. Even highs are forecast 20 to 30 degrees below average, likely failing to rebound much during the afternoon.
The intense cold is set to continue all week, meaning those who lost power in the storm face several frigid days in their homes.
Snow records tumble across major cities
Yesterday was the first time since January 2016 that Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston all picked up at least 6 inches of snow in the same day.
A food cart in New York City during a snowstorm yesterday. Andres Kudacki / Getty Images
If Boston totals more than 22.4 inches, that will crack its top 10 for the largest two-day snowstorms.
The most snow (23 inches) fell in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with 20.5 inches in Middleton, Massachusetts. Meanwhile a Jan. 25 record of 11.4 inches fell in New York City’s Central Park.
Snow wasn’t the only concern. A full inch of ice was recorded in Cherokee, Alabama; Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina; Rayville, Louisiana; Idabel, Oklahoma, and Oxford, Rolling Fork and Lexington, Mississippi.
Widespread snow has ended, but lake effect could still cause flurries in New York state
While widespread snow has stopped in parts of the Northeast, there will be some heavy lake-effect snow across areas east of Ontario Lake tomorrow through Thursday, the National Weather Service office in Buffalo said this morning.
The weather service says this band of precipitation would be lessened by the ice on Lake Erie, but not eliminated.
And it will be a cold one tonight, with temperatures reaching minus 24 around and to the south of Buffalo when factoring in the wind chill.
Body of missing teacher found in Kansas
A Kanas elementary school teacher who went missing Friday was found dead 300 yards from where she was last seen on video, police said.
Rebecca Rauber, 28, was last seen at 11:44 p.m. having left a bar in Emporia, around 70 miles northeast of Wichita. Emporia Police Department said in a statement that a dog volunteer group, K-9 Search & Rescue of Kansas, found the body covered in snow in a nearby wooded area yesterday.
“Rebecca may have succumbed to hypothermia early on in her disappearance,” police said. “Next of Kin has been notified. We want to thank our community for the outpouring of care and assistance during this situation.”
Rauber was a second grade teacher at Riverside Elementary School, according to the Emporia Public Schools website, which said that “all who were touched by her life and dedication to education” were “deeply saddened.” It called her a “valued member of our school community, and her loss is felt deeply across our district.”
So far there have been nine confirmed deaths attributed to the winter storm.
East Coast metro transportation struggles back into life
Buses in Washington, D.C., were suspended for an additional two hours this morning, a sign of transportation services across the East struggling to get going in the face of extreme conditions.
Buses in the capital were due to resume at 6 a.m., having been suspended since 9 p.m. yesterday. But an hour beforehand, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced an additional delay of 2 hours, to 8 a.m., “due to the hazardous road conditions.”
In New Jersey, regular trains and buses would remain suspended today, with only the city’s three light rail lines resuming as normal, according to NJ Transit.
A subway station in Brooklyn, New York City, yesterday. Spencer Platt / Getty Images
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority meanwhile said that subways and buses would run a normal rush hour service this morning, with the Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road on a weekend service.
In Boston, all subway, rail and bus services were listed as running a regular service according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, apart from the Mattapan Trolley which was being replaced by a shuttle bus.
5 New Yorkers died while 'outside,' Mayor Mamdani says
The bodies of five New Yorkers were “found outside” even before the first snowfall began Saturday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani told a press conference yesterday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a salt depot in New York on Saturday. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
“It is still too early to say what the cause of death was for any of the five of them,” the mayor told a news conference yesterday. “And it seems at this moment that we do not think any of them were homeless.”
He added: “We mourn the loss of any and every New Yorker, and we are keeping those five New Yorkers in our thoughts, as well as their friends and their family.”
As it’s unclear how they died, the five deaths are not included in NBC News' tally of nine fatalities attributed to the storm so far.
Store manager carries ‘frozen’ woman from outside during Texas winter storm
Mirza Hussain, affectionately known as Faris, manager of Evan’s Food Mart in Fort Worth, Texas, rescued one of his regular customers from the freezing cold Saturday morning.
“It was just it was so intense because a guy came inside like, ‘Hey man, she’s across the street frozen,’” Hussain said.
Hussain, who said he’s worked at the store for five years, knows all of his customers. He told NBC 5 that a woman named Bobby spent the night outside overnight Saturday as the winter storm moved in, because she had nowhere to go.
He said his “hands were shivering" when he went outside to get her. "That just instantly got to me, and I was like, what is she going through?” Hussain said.
Bobby is experiencing homelessness, according to Hussain.
Security video outside the store captured him carrying her from the cold and into the store. Hussain called Forth Worth police and medics arrived shortly after to take Bobby to the hospital.
“She was already screaming like, ‘Oh, you saved my life!,” Hussain said.
In Southwest Fort Worth, near the small convenience store, Hussain said there are many people experiencing homelessness.
“If you drive around this block alone, you’ll see about 10, 15 people maybe just outside, blankets covered and everything because they don’t have a place to go,” he said.
As snow and ice lie coated roads and sidewalks outside the food mart, it’s a chilling reminder for Hussain that some of his customers might still be in the thick of it.
“Everybody that you see on the streets has a backstory and as to why they ended up on the streets,” Hussain said. “Just be kind to everybody.”
The city of Fort Worth has overnight emergency shelters for people who need a place to go.
DoorDash suspends deliveries in New York City
DoorDash has suspended deliveries in New York City in response to the winter storm, the company said in a statement.
The company's “severe weather protocol” will remain in place until at least 10 a.m. today, “depending on conditions on the ground, it said.
“Due to hazardous conditions, including snow and ice brought by this unprecedented winter storm, we’ve activated our Severe Weather Protocol and temporarily suspended operations in New York City,” spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg was quoted as saying. “We encourage everyone in affected areas to follow local guidance and take necessary precautions, and we will resume operations as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
The company suspended operations in northwest Texas on Friday and Saturday in response to extreme conditions there.
Flights expected to increase at Dulles now that snow has stopped
Washington Dulles International Airport said fights should increase today now the snow and heavy sleet has stopped falling.
The “challenging conditions” and “several inches” of snow saw “most flights canceled for the day, with few exceptions,” the airport said in a statement last night.
“The airport snow team worked throughout the day and evening to clear and de-ice the airfield,” it added. “With precipitation ended, airline flight operations should gradually increase beginning on Monday.”
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