(Dallas) It was too cold to go to school Friday in Chicago and other Midwestern cities as a massive winter storm, expected to last several days, began to form across the United States.
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It could bring snow, sleet, ice and freezing temperatures, as well as significant power outages for about half the U.S. population, from Texas to New England.
Meteorologists have warned that damage, particularly in areas hit by ice, could be comparable to that of a hurricane.
At least 177 million people were under a watch or alert for ice and snow, and more than 200 million were under a cold weather advisory or alert, with the two measures overlapping in many places.
Snow could begin to fall later Friday in Texas and Oklahoma. The storm was expected to move south with freezing rain and sleet, leaving behind a thick layer of ice dangerous to tree branches and utility poles.
It will then move northeast, dumping about 12 inches of snow from Washington, D.C. to New York and Boston, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Boston declared a state of cold emergency for the entire weekend, with temperatures feeling well below freezing.
The first factor to come into play for the storm was arctic air descending from Canada. Chicago Public Schools and other Midwestern schools canceled classes Friday. With wind chills forecast at minus 40 degrees Celsius, frostbite could appear in less than 10 minutes, making walking to school or waiting for the bus too dangerous.
PHOTO KIICHIRO SATO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ice formed along the shores of Lake Michigan on January 23, 2026, in Chicago.
The wind chill in Dickinson, North Dakota, was minus 47 degrees Friday morning.
Ice, snow and sleet will begin falling later Friday in places like Oklahoma, where Department of Transportation workers have pre-treated roads with brine. The Highway Patrol canceled officers’ days off and partnered with the National Guard to send teams to help stranded drivers.
Texas was also preparing. Freezing temperatures forced Houston schools to close Friday, with a day of online learning for public school students. Utility companies have brought in thousands of employees to help maintain the power supply.
“Everyone is hard at work,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a message posted online. We hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. »
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 1,000 flights were delayed or canceled Friday across the country in anticipation of the storm, including at airports in Dallas, Atlanta and Oklahoma. The website listed more than 1,400 cancellations for Saturday.
Once the ice and snow disappear, the frigid air from the North will move south and east. Thawing will take some time, which is especially dangerous in places where ice and snow weigh down tree branches and power lines and knock out power, sometimes for several days.
PHOTO JOEL BISSELL, KALAMAZOO GAZETTE PROVIDED BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Steam billows from a house and is illuminated by the sunrise in the Westside neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 23, 2026.
Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more likely to break, especially in windy weather.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at least 11 Southern states, from Texas to Virginia, have a majority of homes heated with electricity.
Five years ago, an intense cold snap knocked out much of Texas’ power grid, leaving millions without power for several days and causing hundreds of deaths. Governor Greg Abbott assured Thursday that this would not happen again.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul asked residents to prepare for the heaviest snowfall in years.
“We are heading into a very, very dangerous weather event,” Ms.me Hochul, highlighting the risk of hypothermia and frostbite.
