At least 25 dead after winter storm snarls travel, brings severe ice, heaviest snow in years

A massive winter storm impacted a vast swath of the United States this weekend, delivering widespread snow, ice, power outages and widespread travel disruptions from Texas to New England. The storm affected three dozen states and brought the most snow in five years to some cities, including New York City.

At least 25 deaths have been reported across the country in connection with the storm and the Arctic air, including two teenagers, one in Arkansas and one in Texas, who died due to sledding accidents, according to The Associated Press.

The storm knocked thousands of flights out of service — more than 23,000 cancellations from Friday through Monday at major airports from Texas to Maine on Monday — disrupting air travel nationwide.

Ice snaps trees, sparks over 1 million power outages

The storm’s southern side produced significant ice accumulations, snapping trees and power lines, particularly across the South, where electricity infrastructure was heavily strained. Over 1 million customers were left without power during the height of the outages on Sunday, with Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas among the hardest hit. Icy roads and bridges compounded risks, making travel hazardous and slowing emergency response efforts.

Power outages could last for days in some areas, creating life-threatening conditions. "Arctic air settling over the region will limit natural melting, keeping homes cold and prolonging infrastructure strain, with nighttime lows dipping into the teens and single digits in some areas," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alexander Duffus said.

In the Florida Panhandle, the storm spawned severe thunderstorms, including a likely tornado that ripped the roof off a home in Defuniak Springs, Florida, located 110 miles west of Tallahassee.

AccuWeather experts estimate the winter storm will result in total damage and economic losses of $105 billion to $115 billion. The preliminary estimate accounts for damage to homes and businesses, disruptions to commerce and supply chain logistics, tourism losses, impacts on shipping operations at major hubs, financial losses from extended power outages, major travel delays, and damage to infrastructure.

Biggest snowstorm in years for millions

Across the Midwest and Northeast, heavy snow accumulations topped a foot, shutting down travel, burying roads and forcing school closures to start the week. New York City measured 11.4 inches of snow on Sunday, the biggest single-day snowfall in the city since 14.8 inches fell on Feb. 1, 2021. The 9.3 inches that fell in Philadelphia was more than the 8.1 inches of snow that fell during the entirety of last winter.

On Sunday night, as snow intensified in New England, a private jet crashed during takeoff in Bangor, Maine. The crash is under investigation.

By Monday morning, 56% of the contiguous United States was covered in snow, up from 26% late last week. It was also the second-highest snow coverage in the U.S. in 20 years, according to NOAA, behind 59.7% in 2023. (Source: AccuWeather)