A new storm system could impact the eastern United States this weekend, days after a deadly winter event left hundreds of thousands without power and caused widespread disruption from the South to the Northeast.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Another winter storm system may strike the East Coast this weekend, compounding the effects of a powerful arctic outbreak that brought ice, snow, widespread power outages, and dozens of deaths across much of the eastern United States.
The National Weather Service said forecasters are tracking “increasing potential of another significant winter storm” that could affect the eastern U.S. in the coming days, according to a statement issued Jan. 27 by the agency on its official website. Meteorologists said well-below-normal temperatures will persist through the week, with another surge of arctic air expected to spread from the Plains into the East Coast and the South on Friday and Saturday. The forecast includes the possibility of record-low temperatures extending as far south as Florida.
The latest storm system has already proven deadly. At least 30 people have died as a result of extreme cold and winter weather, according to authorities in multiple states. In New York City, at least five people were found dead outdoors amid freezing conditions, with causes under investigation but potentially linked to hypothermia, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in remarks reported by The Epoch Times.
State and local officials across the South and Midwest reported additional fatalities. Louisiana authorities said two men died of hypothermia in Caddo Parish. Two teenagers were killed in sledding-related accidents in Arkansas and Texas. In Emporia, Kansas, a K-9 police unit found a schoolteacher dead and covered in snow.
Power outages stretched across large portions of the southern United States. More than 500,000 customers were without electricity as of Tuesday morning, according to an update from Poweroutage.us. Tennessee reported approximately 170,000 outages, Mississippi had 140,000, and Louisiana recorded 99,000 outages after an ice storm damaged power infrastructure over the weekend. Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina also reported thousands of outages.
Transportation disruptions rippled nationwide. More than 12,000 flights were delayed or canceled Monday, according to FlightAware. By Tuesday morning, roughly 1,700 cancellations and another 2,600 delays were reported across the country.
In the Northeast, New York City experienced its snowiest day in years, with accumulations ranging from 8 to 15 inches. Public schools were closed, but approximately 500,000 students were directed to attend classes remotely. The city eliminated traditional snow days after remote learning became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Damage to infrastructure was especially severe in parts of Mississippi and Tennessee. Northern Mississippi communities reported extensive power system failures, with some areas, including New Albany, facing up to a week without electricity. The state deployed a record 200,000 gallons of ice-melting chemicals on roadways.
Oxford, Mississippi, Mayor Robyn Tannehill described the destruction in a social media post, calling conditions catastrophic. “It looks like a tornado went down every street,” she wrote on Jan. 25. “There is no safe means of travel on the roads right now.”
Tannehill said the city was unable to transport students at the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss, who live off campus or are staying in shelters. “We begged people to prepare and I am so sorry for those who didn’t but it is impossible for us to get to everyone in these conditions as much as we wish we could,” she wrote. “We’re going to wake up and do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.”
With another storm potentially approaching, forecasters warned that recovery efforts across the region could be further strained in the days ahead.
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