Deadly Winter Storm Battered U.S.: 30 Dead and Millions Facing Dangerous Cold

January 27, 2026 — A colossal winter storm, dubbed “Winter Storm Fern” by some meteorologists, has left a trail of tragedy and destruction across the United States. As of Tuesday, officials have confirmed at least 30 weather-related fatalities across twelve states, while hundreds of thousands of residents remain trapped in a desperate struggle against plummeting temperatures and a failing power grid.

The storm’s reach was massive, stretching 1,300 miles from the Southern Plains to the tip of New England. It dumped more than 20 inches of snow in parts of the Northeast and coated the Deep South in a thick, “catastrophic” layer of ice that has crippled infrastructure and brought daily life to a standstill.

A Rising Death Toll and Frigid Peril

The human cost of the storm continues to rise as authorities survey the damage. Deaths have been reported in states including New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Kansas.

• Exposure and Hypothermia: In New York City, officials confirmed that eight people were found dead outdoors over the frigid weekend as temperatures plunged well below freezing. In Kansas, a 28-year-old woman succumbed to hypothermia after being found in a wooded area, and similar tragedies were reported in Louisiana and Kentucky.
• Accidents on the Ice: The storm claimed the lives of teenagers in Texas and Arkansas during fatal sledding accidents. In Massachusetts and Ohio, individuals were tragically struck by snowplows during clearing operations.
• Infrastructure Hazards: In Mississippi, a 66-year-old man died when an ice-laden tree limb crushed his mobile home—a stark example of the “tornado-like” destruction described by local mayors.

Hundreds of Thousands Without Power

The South has been particularly hard-hit by freezing rain, which turned tree branches into heavy weights that snapped power lines like toothpicks. At the storm’s peak, over 850,000 customers were without electricity.

Utility crews are working around the clock, but the bone-deep chill—with wind chills as low as -31°C (-24°F)—is slowing restoration efforts. Many residents have been forced into hotels or emergency warming centers to escape their dark, freezing homes.

Travel Chaos and Emergency Declarations

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that over 200 million people—nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population—were under some form of winter weather alert. The disruption to the nation’s transport was near-total:

• Aviation: More than 14,000 flights were canceled over the weekend and Monday, leaving thousands of travelers stranded at major hubs like JFK, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Boston Logan.
• Roadways: Dozens of states declared emergencies, urging citizens to stay off the roads as black ice and deep snow rendered highways impassable.
• Education: Major school districts, including those in New York City, Boston, and Nashville, remained closed or switched to remote learning as buildings struggled with heating and access.

Looking Ahead: The Deep Freeze Lingers

While the snowfall has begun to taper off in the Northeast, the danger is far from over. Forecasters warn that a fresh influx of Arctic air will keep temperatures below freezing for many regions through the remainder of the week.

“It literally looks like a tornado has gone down every street,” said Mayor Robyn Tannehill of Oxford, Mississippi. “This is going to leave a lasting impact on our community.”

Officials are urging the public to check on elderly neighbors and to use extreme caution with portable generators or space heaters, which pose significant fire and carbon monoxide risks.