A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States has left more than 500,000 customers without electricity and forced widespread flight cancellations, as forecasters warned of prolonged and dangerous conditions across much of the country.
The system, marked by snow, sleet, freezing rain, and extreme cold, is affecting the eastern two-thirds of the nation and is expected to persist into the coming week, intensifying disruptions already underway.
Federal and state officials described the storm as historic, with emergency declarations expanding across a broad swath of states as conditions worsened through the weekend.
President Donald Trump approved federal emergency disaster declarations for multiple states spanning the Southeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic.
“We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
By early Sunday, seventeen states and the District of Columbia had declared weather emergencies, reflecting the growing geographic scope of the storm.
Power outages continued to climb as ice accumulation and frigid temperatures strained infrastructure in several regions.
More than 500,000 customers were without electricity, with Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee each reporting over 100,000 outages.
Additional disruptions were reported in Louisiana and New Mexico as utilities struggled to keep pace with deteriorating conditions.
The Department of Energy issued emergency orders allowing grid operators in Texas and the mid-Atlantic to deploy backup and specified generation resources beyond normal regulatory limits.
Grid operators nationwide stepped up precautions to avoid rotating blackouts as forecasts warned of record cold and dangerous wind chills extending into the Great Plains.
Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, urged residents to prepare, saying, “It’s going to be very, very cold.”
Air travel disruptions deepened as the storm expanded, with more than 9,600 flights canceled on Sunday following over 4,000 cancellations the previous day.
Major airlines adjusted schedules and preemptively canceled flights in areas facing the most severe weather.
Delta Air Lines focused on hubs along the East Coast and in the South, while JetBlue and United Airlines reported extensive cancellations through Monday.
Airlines warned passengers to expect abrupt changes as conditions evolve, underscoring the storm’s continuing impact on national transportation networks.