A massive and historic winter storm named Fern has battered much of the United States, unleashing heavy snow, ice, freezing rain, and dangerously cold temperatures across more than 40 states and affecting over 245 million people.The storm developed rapidly in the Plains on Friday, arriving earlier than many forecast models predicted, and quickly spread eastward.
It broke records for the highest number of counties placed under simultaneous Winter Storm Warnings even before precipitation began. By early Sunday, nearly 230,000 customers were without power in the South alone, with outages stemming primarily from ice accumulation weighing down power lines and toppling trees.
Power outages surged further as the storm progressed, with widespread reports indicating hundreds of thousands affected nationwide, concentrated heavily in states like Mississippi (over 75,000 initially), Louisiana (around 68,000), and Texas (nearly 67,000). Other sources reported figures climbing toward or exceeding 850,000 to nearly a million in some updates, particularly in Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana.Nearly 10,000 flights were canceled nationwide through Monday, disrupting travel at major hubs and causing cascading delays.
Cancellations were visible on boards at airports like Ronald Reagan National in Washington, DC, with additional impacts expected at cities including Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, New York City, and others along the storm’s path.The storm’s reach spanned a staggering 2,300-mile swath from the Southwest—including parts of Arizona—through the Plains, Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and into the Northeast and New England.
More than 190 million Americans were under various Winter Weather Alerts, and states of emergency were declared in at least 21 states and Washington, DC, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut.Heavy snowfall was forecast in many areas: up to a foot or more in central Kansas north of Oklahoma City, 5 to 8 inches across parts of the Plains, Kentucky, and elsewhere, with potential for 18 to 24 inches in portions of the tri-state area around New York City, southern New England, and into Boston.
Coastal Massachusetts could see 12 to 18 inches, with locally higher amounts up to two feet. Ice accumulations posed a major threat in the South, with up to 0.75 inches or more in Arkansas, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee—including cities like Little Rock, Oxford, and Memphis—leading to significant travel hazards and infrastructure damage along interstates such as I-20 and I-35.Frigid arctic air followed and prolonged the misery, with Extreme Cold Warnings and watches in place across the Upper Midwest, Plains, and Northeast.
Highs in New York City were expected in the teens on Sunday, with wind chills dropping to single digits. Over 50 million people faced sub-zero temperatures, and more than 260 million experienced below-average readings.Preparations were widespread: Supermarkets from Texas to New York saw panic buying and emptied shelves, energy companies deployed extra crews to handle ice on lines, and agencies like the NYC Department of Sanitation pre-loaded salt into plows.
President Donald Trump stated on social media that the administration was coordinating with state and local officials, with FEMA fully prepared to respond.Travel remained treacherous, with icy and snow-covered roads slowing movement to a crawl on major routes like I-70, I-40, I-81, and I-80. Motorists faced life-threatening conditions through the weekend, and some areas braced for potential NJ Transit shutdowns or extended disruptions.As the storm moved eastward and began winding down by Monday, the bitterly cold air was expected to linger, exacerbating risks from any prolonged outages or damage.
