Latest news Freezing winter storm paralyzes large parts of the USA
Snow flurries, flight chaos and hundreds of thousands without power: extreme winter weather has largely brought life to a standstill in many regions of the USA.
26.01.2026, 15:02
26.01.2026, 15:03
SDA
The winter storm hit the South, the Midwest and the East Coast of the United States. Almost 90 million people in the country are still subject to extreme cold warnings from the US weather service.
The effects of the freezing cold and snowstorm have already claimed the first lives. Citing local authorities, the newspaper "USA Today" reported at least 13 deaths in five US states since the weekend, while the broadcaster CNN reported at least eleven. The figures quoted in the US media varied depending on how directly the causes of death were linked to the weather.
Several people froze to death
According to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, five people who were found dead outdoors in the metropolis of millions at the weekend were presumed to have frozen to death. An official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Death by hypothermia was also considered probable in the cases of three people in the US states of Kansas, Michigan and Texas, according to the authorities. Their bodies were found - in some cases after hours of searching - in the freezing cold. Two men also died of hypothermia in the southern state of Louisiana at the weekend.
According to the authorities, more than half of the US population has been affected in some way by the winter storm, which had been announced as one of the most severe in recent years. A state of emergency has been declared in many states. This means that aid can be provided more quickly. States and the US government called on people to stay at home.
Residents of the southern US states, where severe cold and heavy snowfall are rare, were particularly challenged by the weather: icy conditions led to serious traffic accidents and pile-ups on highways in Texas and Tennessee, among other places, in which at least two people died.
Power outages, deserted airports and empty roads
On Monday night, more than 820,000 people in the south and on the east coast of the USA were still affected by power outages, according to the overview website "poweroutage.us". Blackouts occur, for example, when the load of snow and ice on the mostly above-ground lines is too great.
Falling trees can also interrupt the supply. The lack of water heating also increases the risk of domestic pipes bursting in the cold, warned CNN meteorologists.
Schools in many large US cities will remain closed today. At the start of the week, the weather conditions continue to cause problems for travelers in particular. Thousands of flights had already been canceled over the weekend. The airline Delta announced that it would reschedule flights as soon as possible.
The storm is also having an impact on professional sport. The NBA had to cancel two basketball games scheduled for Sunday - partly because one team was unable to travel to the game due to the weather.
A different kind of US capital
A deserted airport in the US capital Washington - actually unimaginable. These days, however, the picture at Reagan Airport is extreme: counters closed, planes on the ground, virtually no one in the terminal corridors.
The capital also presents an unusual picture beyond its airport: Virtually no one is out and about in the frosty wind, and on the roads, individuals are struggling through the snow in their cars. Icy rain has made the roads dangerously slippery, a high blanket of snow hides sidewalks and stairways.
Residents of the capital have been asked to have flashlights ready and to charge their cell phones as a precaution. The offices of the federal authorities are to remain closed today.
Skis on the streets, sledges in the park
Despite the tense situation, cheerful winter scenes also characterized the cityscape on Sunday: in the middle of Washington, children sledded down the snow-covered slopes of the Capitol, passers-by switched to skis.
Winter delights were also wrested from the weather in the metropolis of New York: Walkers enjoyed plenty of space in the famous Times Square - a place that is usually packed with crowds every day. Numerous sledders flocked to Central Park in Manhattan, where, according to CBS News, there was almost 30 centimetres of snow on Sunday, the most since records began.
Apart from that, the partly empty streets were reminiscent of conditions during the global coronavirus pandemic, when public life came to a standstill and many people stayed at home.
Canada's metropolis Toronto also calls for caution
It will remain freezing cold over the next few days, with the US weather service warning of further heavy snowfall, especially in the north-east of the country. The storm will gradually move from the east coast towards the Atlantic, it said.
Eastern Canada is also currently experiencing the more extreme excesses of winter. The city of Toronto in particular is expecting further snowfall of up to 60 centimetres today, according to the Toronto Star newspaper. Several universities and schools remained closed as a precaution. On Sunday, the city council had already called on people to stay at home and only leave their homes for essential errands.
The winter weather also affected air traffic in Canada at the weekend. At Toronto International Airport alone, more than 60 percent of the more than 900 arrivals and departures were canceled, wrote the newspaper "The Globe and Mail".
