Winter Storm Live Updates: 170M+ Under Alerts as Ice, Snow, and Outages Spread East

What to know

A potentially historic winter storm is unfolding across more than half the U.S., pushing east with a dangerous mix of heavy snow, significant ice, and bitter cold. Impacts are already mounting, including widespread road closures in parts of the South and major travel disruption nationwide.

• More than 170 million people are under winter weather alerts as the system stretches from the Southern Rockies and Plains into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

• At least 18 states, plus Washington, D.C., have declared states of emergency, signaling elevated concern for travel conditions, power reliability, and public safety.

• Heavy snow is expected on the colder, northern side of the storm, with 12 inches or more likely in parts of the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.

• A significant sleet band is also expected, with 1 to 3 inches possible just south of the heaviest snow axis.

• The highest-impact threat remains ice. NOAA forecasters warn of catastrophic ice, with freezing rain exceeding 0.50 inches possible in parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, and the southern Appalachians, and over 1 inch possible in some areas.

• The cold air behind the storm stays locked in, keeping roads slick longer and raising the stakes for power outages because temperatures recover slowly.

• Travel impacts are widespread. Weekend flight cancellations have surpassed 9,000, with major hits at Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, and Nashville.