Winter storm updates: Dozens dead across US in wake of massive snowfall, deep freeze

Storm deaths were reported in the Northeast, the South and the Plains.

Last Updated: January 27, 2026, 4:41 PM EST

A deadly winter storm that brought massive snowfall across the U.S. knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in the South and crippled travel in the Northeast.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jan 23, 2026, 4:04 PM EST

More than 2,300 flights canceled for Saturday

More than 2,300 flights within, into or out of the U.S. scheduled for Saturday have now been canceled ahead of the storm, with Dallas' two airports hit the hardest.

Jan 23, 2026, 3:56 PM EST

Ice danger in the South

One of the biggest dangers from this storm is ice in the South.

The worse of the ice could hit Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; north of the Atlanta area; Charlotte, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Roanoke, Virginia; and Washington, D.C.

Weather Map
ABC News

Up to 1 inch of ice or even more is possible in some parts of Mississippi and western Tennessee, which could paralyze roads for days.

The ice could cause widespread power outages, leaving many without heat, and create very dangerous travel conditions. People should be very cautious about driving this weekend and through next week because the slippery conditions could last for days.

A customer loads ice melt into their car at Lowes, January 22, 2026 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Will Newton/Getty Images

-ABC News’ Kyle David and Dan Peck

Jan 23, 2026, 3:45 PM EST

Tracking the storm: This weekend's forecast

The storm begins Friday afternoon with snow and ice in New Mexico and the Texas panhandle. By the evening, Dallas will see a wintry mix and Oklahoma City will see some snow.

Saturday is the most significant day for dangerous icing and heavy snow for the South.

On Saturday morning, the snow and ice will be stretching from Texas to Arkansas to Tennessee.

Weather Map
ABC News

By Saturday afternoon, snow will be falling from St. Louis, to Indianapolis, to Cincinnati, to Charleston, West Virginia.

By Saturday evening, the snow and ice will cover a massive part of the country, stretching from New Mexico to the Carolinas.

Further south, a wintry mix or freezing rain will be hitting Dallas, Shreveport, Louisiana, Memphis, Tennessee, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

The storm will move east early Sunday, bringing snow from Wichita, Kansas, to Cincinnati, to Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia.

Freezing rain will be likely by sunrise in Houston, Memphis, Atlanta and Raleigh.

By noon, the snow will reach New York City, while the snow in D.C. will warm to a wintry mix.

It’s not yet clear which parts of the Interstate 95 corridor will get a wintry mix and which will get all snow on Sunday afternoon. But most of New England and the interior Northeast will see all snow on Sunday and early Monday.

Weather Map
ABC News

A wide swath of plowable snow -- 3 to 6 inches -- is forecast from New Mexico through the Ohio Valley and up to Maine.

The heaviest snow is expected to be from the Texas panhandle to southern Missouri, as well as from the Ohio Valley to the Appalachian Mountains and New England.

In the Northeast, a large swath of the region could see over 1 foot of snow, with 6 to 12 inches forecast closer to the coast, from Virginia to southern New England coast. New York City’s latest forecast shows 8 to 12 inches.

Shoppers stock up on snow shovels ahead of a winter storm outside Strosniders Hardware Store in Bethesda, Maryland, Jan. 23, 2026.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Shutterstock

-ABC News' Kyle David and Dan Peck

Jan 23, 2026, 11:57 AM EST

FEMA staging resources ahead of storm

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is staging resources ahead of the storm, including prepositioning supplies and equipment, according to an internal planning document reviewed by ABC News.

At Camp Minden in Louisiana, FEMA is staging 250,000 meals, 400,000 liters of water and 30 generators, according to the document.

Empty shelves are seen at Walmart on January 22, 2026 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Will Newton/Getty Images

Incident management teams are on standby and FEMA has activated the National Response Coordination Center, the document said.

Twenty-eight Urban Search and Rescue teams are on standby, ready to deploy and support lifesaving operations at the request of governors, according to the document.

-ABC News’ Luke Barr

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