Winter Storm Delays Flights And Leaves Thousands Without Power
The majority of the country is dealing with abnormally cold temperatures, as a massive winter storm has delayed thousands of flights, left hundreds of thousands without power, and has already killed 13 people.
According to CNN, Sunday was the worst day for flight cancellations since the pandemic, with 11,500 flights being canceled and 21,000 being delayed. The cancellations have continued through Monday, with the New York Times reporting that 4,000 flights have been canceled, with another 8,000 delayed. The winter storm has also impacted schools, with Atlanta, New York, and Baltimore among the several major cities that announced school closures on Monday.
The winter storm brought snow, sleet, and ice across 26 states over the weekend. The snowstorm was captured in real time during the AFC Championship Game on Sunday in Denver. Over 20 states reported receiving more than a foot of snow from the winter storm.
While the storm has mostly passed, the impact is far from over. Freezing temperatures are still expected through much of the central and eastern states, with gusty winds causing temperatures to drop as much as 50 degrees below zero. Light to moderate snow is expected to continue across several northeastern states, mostly affecting New York and New England.
“These kind of wind chills and prolonged cold could pose a life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite,” Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, told the Times. “We’re suggesting that people stay inside, and ensure that their pets and animals also have protection from the cold.”
With temperatures not expected to warm significantly in the coming days, Santorelli predicts this could worsen the impact the winter storm has already had on infrastructure. “This is just going to prolong the travel and infrastructure impacts that we’ve been seeing, especially across portions of Louisiana into Mississippi and Tennessee that are without power right now.”
Basic utilities have been hit hard by the winter storm, with over 800,000 people currently without power. Southern states have been hit the hardest by these outages, with 250,536 outages reported in Tennessee, 160,987 in Mississippi, and 127,635 in Louisiana. The situation could worsen in the coming days, as many power lines are covered in ice, potentially leading to complete snapping.
The unpredictability of the weather means there’s no clear timeline on when people can expect power to be restored. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell told reporters on Monday that it may take “several days” to restore power, adding that falling trees are still knocking down power lines, hampering the recovery effort. The staffing cuts and mass exodus of FEMA leadership throughout 2025 may affect how effectively the agency can assist with the recovery effort.
That’s deeply concerning, as NBC News reports that the winter storm has already resulted in 13 deaths as of Monday. Local officials are reporting that three people are dead in Pennsylvania, two in Louisiana, two in Texas, one in Kansas, one in Massachusetts, and one in Arkansas.
If you’re in any of the impacted areas, do your best to stay safe, stay inside, and stay warm in the coming week.
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