Deadly Winter Storm Paralyzes US East Coast, Canada; More Snow Looms

By Suraj Karowa/ ANW , January 27 2026

Snow and ice were cleared at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday.

A ferocious winter storm swept across the United States from Texas to Maine over the weekend, claiming at least a dozen lives, blanketing cities in heavy snow, and disrupting travel for millions.

The onslaught knocked out power for over 200,000 in Tennessee alone, snarled highways with ice and fallen trees, and prompted warnings of another major storm hitting the eastern US this weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported over 20 inches (50.8 cm) of snow in parts of the Northeast within 24 hours, turning urban centers into frozen wastelands.

New York City’s Central Park logged 11.4 inches by Monday morning, while roadways became treacherous slicks.

“It’s chaos out there,” said Joy Flores, vice president of Nashville’s Rescue Mission homeless shelter.

Washington DC is experiencing one of its biggest snowstorms in a decade

Her center fielded desperate calls from residents plunged into “cold and darkness,” with icy roads impassable and her own home lacking heat, internet, or even coffee.

Trees and power lines littered streets, exacerbating the crisis.

Fatalities mounted quickly. In New York City, eight deaths were confirmed between Friday and Monday as temperatures dipped into single digits.

Texas saw tragedy when a teenage girl died in a sledding accident in Frisco, with another in critical condition.

North Carolina authorities investigated a man’s body found roadside in Buncombe County, probing weather links.

Louisiana reported two hypothermia deaths, per the health department.

The toll underscored the storm’s ruthless reach.Northeast Braces as Governors Issue Stark Warnings Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey urged vigilance Monday, noting “it’s not over yet.”

One to five inches more snow was forecast that day, with plows struggling against mounting drifts.

Elijah Minahan, of Johnstown, Pa., shovels out the driveway at his home in Westmont Borough as cold temperatures and snowfall hits the region on Friday.

City crews in New York piled snow outside City Hall, but the effort barely kept pace.

Aviation ground to a halt: FlightAware tallied over 19,000 delays and 5,900 cancellations Monday, stranding passengers nationwide.

The storm didn’t spare Canada. Southern Ontario reeled, with Toronto Pearson Airport shattering records at 18.1 inches (46 cm) of snow Sunday, per CBC reports.

Ottawa and Quebec faced school closures, transportation snarls, and deep snow piles burying cars.

One Toronto resident trudged through waist-high drifts, a stark image of the cross-border mayhem.Meteorologists eye a grim sequel.

NWS warns of a “significant winter storm” potentially starting Friday, packing “widespread heavy precipitation” and biting cold across the eastern US. Exact paths remain uncertain, but impacts could rival the weekend’s devastation.

Climate experts link such events to warming patterns: Arctic air plunges southward as polar vortices weaken, dumping moisture-laden snow on unprepared regions.Power Outages and Human Toll DeepenTennessee’s deep freeze left Nashville residents huddling in the dark.

Utility crews raced against hypothermia risks, but downed lines from heavy snow and wind slowed restoration.

Flores described non-stop pleas for aid at her shelter, highlighting vulnerabilities for the unhoused and elderly.

“Many trees down and power lines blocking roads,” she told the BBC, painting a scene of isolation.In the South, rare winter fury amplified dangers.

Texas’s sledding mishap recalled past storms like 2021’s Uri, which killed hundreds via grid failure.

Louisiana’s hypothermia cases echoed that vulnerability, where subzero feels-like temps overwhelmed homes without adequate insulation.

Travel Nightmares Persist Amid Recovery EffortsAirlines begged patience as de-icing lagged and runways iced over.

Major hubs like New York’s JFK and LaGuardia saw endless delays, rippling globally.

Ground travel fared no better: highways closed, semis jackknifed, and salt trucks overwhelmed.Relief efforts ramped up.

FEMA coordinated aid, while states activated emergency declarations.

Red Cross shelters opened, distributing blankets and hot meals.

Yet forecasters caution against complacency—Friday’s system could dwarf the last, blending snow, ice, and sleet.As cleanup begins, questions linger on resilience.

Aging infrastructure buckles under extremes, and experts call for grid hardening and better forecasting tech.

For now, millions dig out, eyeing skies warily. The storm’s grip loosens, but winter’s wrath endures.