Winter storm grips much of US in snow, ice, Arctic cold

A de-icing crew works during winter storm Fern on a Southwest Airlines flight at Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. January 24, 2026. Andrew Nelles/USA Today Network via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A powerful ‌winter storm spread a paralyzing mix of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England on Sunday, compounded by ‌bitter, Arctic cold gripping much of the U.S. east of the Rockies.

Winter storm warnings were posted for most of the eastern third of the United ‌States covering 118 million people, as the deep freeze strained energy supplies in some areas, and the National Weather Service predicted widespread, prolonged travel disruptions.