Polar temperatures are battering multiple US states, with alarms sounding due to an incoming severe winter storm. The severe weather affects 150 million citizens, while in New York temperatures drop to -9°F and in the Northern Plains plummet below -50°F. In total, 40 states are being tested by extreme weather conditions.
Read: US in deep freeze: Millions face polar cold and heavy snowfall (Video)
Two-thirds of the US population face blizzard conditions and extreme cold, with snow and ice extending over 2,000 miles from Texas to New England as the storm moves eastward during the weekend.
A massive winter storm is charging across the United States, triggering heavy snowfall and icy conditions in over 30 states pic.twitter.com/PXLUZfsSch
— Surajit (@Surajit_) January 23, 2026
Heavy snowfall is already hitting northwest Texas and Oklahoma, where approximately 24,000 households have lost electricity. In Chicago, temperatures dropped to -16°F, worsening living conditions.
☃️The SNOW is really coming down across Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight! pic.twitter.com/usMqNTFxV3
— Live Storm Chasers (@LiveStormChaser) January 24, 2026
Scenes here in Dallas, Texas. Heavy snow coming down, strong gusts of winds up to 60mph. #SnowStorm pic.twitter.com/vLXbiHJlkI
— Gerald (@GeraldBets) January 23, 2026
Governors of at least 16 states—including Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North and South Carolina—have declared states of emergency, placing National Guard units on standby. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 flights have been canceled across the country. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport took the biggest hit, with over 1,200 departure and arrival flights canceled over the weekend.
FOX 25 is in Norman, Oklahoma, as snowfall intensity is increasing across the state. Main Street is seen here at approximately 9:23 p.m. #okwx #oklahoma #winterweather #winterstorm #snowfall pic.twitter.com/BgeO4E2d3O
— KOKH FOX 25 (@OKCFOX) January 24, 2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state is mobilizing more than 1,600 snowplows and 114,000 tons of salt, warning that the storm will leave no area “untouched by Mother Nature’s fury.”
“When we factor in the extremely low temperatures, the number of people who will be affected reaches 220 million,” said meteorologist Jacob Asherman from the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
Extreme Snowfall situation in Manali. Many stranded#manali #Snowfall #snowstorm #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/Q3J1MacBdX
— Vishvendra (@AbsoluteVish) January 24, 2026
“Historic phenomenon”
Meteorologist Caitlin Dirks characterized the phenomenon as “historic,” emphasizing that the predicted ice levels could cause serious infrastructure damage.
Snow coming down in the Texas panhandle pic.twitter.com/XPPvFj86ux
— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) January 23, 2026
The critical nature of the situation is reflected in long lines outside essential goods stores, with shelves emptying rapidly. “They ran out of eggs. There’s no bacon. There’s no butter,” said Lem Williams as he loaded groceries into his car. Roger Miller added: “This could last a week before you can get out of your house. Better stock up a bit if you have money.”
