US surpasses 1 million power outages
Power outages across the country have now risen to over 1,000,000, according to PowerOutage.us, as conditions continue to worsen.
Tennessee is still currently reporting by far the largest number of outages with more than 330,000 homes and businesses affected.
Outages in Mississippi have now surpassed 167,000. Louisiana has surpassed 140,000 outages. Other states are managing to stay below 100,000 for the time being.
Key events
Here’s a look at some of the snow removal and de-icing efforts happening across the country. Several city workers are out operating heavy-duty snowplows, while others can be spotted scattering salt and saltwater on roads and vehicles. Many people opted for the traditional route; grabbing a shovel.
Winter storm Fern is hitting southern states particularly hard, with most being unaccustomed to heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.
The storm left widespread damage across northern Mississippi, crashing down power lines in some places. About 10% of Mississippi customers were without electrical service as of Sunday afternoon.
“The situation is expected to get worse before it gets better,” governor Tate Reeves said, warning that restoring power could take days.
In Tennessee, Nashville neighborhoods are covered with ice. Residents are sharing pictures of trees snapping and “falling everywhere”. Nearly half an inch of ice accumulation was recorded in the city early this morning.
Leaders across several states are urging people to stay indoors and avoid travel. Kentucky is experiencing fuel shortages in parts of the state as tanker trucks are unable to navigate the icy roads to reach gas stations, according to state governor Andy Beshear.
“We’re asking everyone to avoid travel, not only because you could hurt yourself or someone else, but also because fuel availability is low in certain parts of Kentucky. The tankers aren’t able to make it through this to a lot of our gas stations,” he said.
While the New York City public transit system remains mostly operational, other cities have been forced to shut down. New Jersey Transit bus, light rail and Access Link services were stopped starting in the early hours of Sunday morning. Rail service ended at 2pm today.
“Customers should avoid unnecessary travel tomorrow as roads need to remain clear for local, county and state forces to remove snow so service can resume as quickly as it is safe to do so,” the agency said in a press release. It added that train and rail cars may continue operating passenger-free as a way to keep overhead wires and tracks free of snow and ice.
NJ Transit is the third-largest transit system in the US, with 165 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.
New York City subways will continue to operate throughout the storm, MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said Sunday.
Speaking at a news conference with mayor Zohran Mamdani, Lieber said subways and buses are running on a Sunday schedule through Monday.
“So far the preparations have really been paying off,” he said. “Things have been running smoothly. There are delays, there are adjustments to service, but all subway lines, ladies and gentlemen, are operating.”
City buses are also running, though some are experiencing delays and some have been rerouted. All buses have been outfitted with chains on their tires.
“Everything is running local so we do not leave anyone on the street,” Lieber said. “So, the folks who are standing at a bus stop are going to get whatever bus comes by stopping for them.”
Power prices in the largest US grid rose sharply on Sunday as demand in a region with the world’s largest concentration of energy-hungry data centers surpassed forecasts during a major storm hitting half the country.
Wholesale electricity prices topped $1,800 per MWh early Sunday in Dominion Energy’s Virginia territory, up from $200 per MWh on Saturday morning. Virginia houses the biggest cluster of data centers in the world, which are used to power things like artificial intelligence and have been responsible for rising power demand and prices in swaths of the country.
The demand spike began late Saturday night, according to data from PJM Interconnection, the largest US regional grid that serves 67 million people, as winter storm Fern swept across the country.
US surpasses 1 million power outages
Power outages across the country have now risen to over 1,000,000, according to PowerOutage.us, as conditions continue to worsen.
Tennessee is still currently reporting by far the largest number of outages with more than 330,000 homes and businesses affected.
Outages in Mississippi have now surpassed 167,000. Louisiana has surpassed 140,000 outages. Other states are managing to stay below 100,000 for the time being.
Seven total deaths reported from winter storm
With the New York City fatalities, the total number of deaths is now at seven as a result of the monster winter storm that has brought heavy snowfall and ice from the Gulf coast to the northeastern US.
The Louisiana department of health also confirmed two deaths related to the winter storm in Caddo parish. According to the agency, two men of unknown ages died of hypothermia.
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Five people found dead on New York City streets amid freezing temperatures
New York City has reported five fatalities suspected to be related to the severe weather.
The bodies of five people were found on the streets of NYC on Saturday as temperatures reached freezing lows.
A 67-year-old man was found on a sidewalk at about 7.45am on 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, according to police. An additional two bodies – a man in his 30s and a woman in her 60s – were found separately in Brooklyn about two hours after the first discovery.
Later, an unidentified man was found on Hilburn Avenue in Queens and another unidentified man was found on 69th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan. The medical examiner will determine the official causes of death but officials suspect the extreme cold may have contributed.
Winter storm Fern is officially operating in full force in the northeastern US. New Yorkers may not be strangers to snow, but these conditions have already proven to be especially severe and dangerous.
Yesterday, outreach teams worked to connect with the city’s homeless and provide shelter ahead of the snowstorm. The city has activated a Code Blue, which means anyone who is homeless cannot be denied shelter.
Here are some photos of snowy and icy New York:
The worst conditions across New York state are expected between 12pm today and 12am Monday when significant snowfall rates will affect central and eastern parts of the state.
1-2 feet of snow is expected across most of the state, accompanied by impactful cold, and minor wind and coastal flooding, according to the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
Governor Kathy Hochul also encouraged businesses to let employees work remotely during the storm.
“So tomorrow’s commute, for those who are working, we encourage their employers to allow their workers, if possible, to work remotely,” Hochul said.
NYC schools to close and offer remote instruction
New York City public schools will be closed on Monday due to the storm, mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Sunday morning.
While all NYC public school buildings will be closed, instruction will continue remotely for students scheduled to attend school on Monday.
The decision to make tomorrow a remote learning day serves to prioritize the safety of students and staff while also continuing instruction and meeting New York State’s 180-day instructional requirement, according to mayor Mamdani and schools chancellor Kamar Samuels.
The mayor also said a travel advisory will be in effect until Monday.
“It will be colder than any sustained period that New York has experienced in about eight years,” Mamdani said during a press conference.
Popular food delivery apps Grubhub and DoorDash said they are considering pausing delivery services in areas dealing with the most severe weather. They also warned that wait times may be longer.
For areas where it is still operating, DoorDash has put a “Weather Impact Fee” in place for all deliveries in the areas impacted by the storm on Sunday. The full fee goes to drivers delivering in areas with bad weather, the company said.
“When in effect, the fee helps make it more worthwhile for Dashers to be on the road and helps keep delivery running when it’s safe to do so,” DoorDash said in a statement. “Customers see the fee in-app while they’re ordering, and can see additional information about the fee and what it’s for before they ever place an order.”
The Office of Personnel Management announced that federal offices in the Washington DC area would be closed on Monday. Employees will be expected to work from home.
A vote scheduled for Monday will also be postponed by the US Senate, Ryan Wrasse, the spokesperson for Senate majority leader John Thune, said on X.
20 states declare state of emergency
At least 20 states have declared a state of emergency including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington DC, has declared a state of emergency in the district.
Donald Trump had approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states by Saturday, with more expected to come. The Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioned commodities, staff and search and rescue teams in numerous states, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said.
Over 10,000 flights canceled from storm
So far, more than 10,000 flights have been canceled, with up to 15,000 cancellations possible through Monday. Today will go down in history as one of the days with the most weather-related flight cancellations in US aviation history.
The cancellations include all flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and most flights at the Philadelphia International Airport. Thousands of flights from major NYC airports LaGuardia, JFK and Newark have also been canceled.
Power outages reach nearly 900,000
Power outages across the country have already surged to nearly 900,000 according to PowerOutage.us, a giant leap from Saturday when the number sat at about 85,000.
Tennessee is currently reporting by far the largest number of outages with more than 300,000 homes and businesses affected.
Outages in Mississippi and Texas have risen to more than 130,000. Louisiana is nearing 125,000 outages.
After spending most of Saturday in the midwestern and southern US, winter storm Fern made its way to the Northeast in the early hours of Sunday morning. The DC-area is expected to receive 5-9 inches of snow from the massive storm.
Here’s a look at the snow-covered US Capitol in Washington, DC.
Hazardous Hello, and welcome to our live blog coverage of the winter storm system currently moving across much of the US. My name is Marina Dunbar and I will be bringing you the latest news lines.
Winter storm Fern continues to hit large parts of the country, dumping snow, sleet and freezing rain. Frigid temperatures, power outages, and treacherous road conditions were widespread. The ice and snowfall are expected to continue through Monday in much of the country, followed by very low temperatures, causing “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” to linger for several days, the National Weather Service said.
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