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Winter Storms Impact Millions Across 22 States
Winter weather alerts were issued for approximately 100 million people across 22 states from Nebraska to Massachusetts on Thursday as a series of storms swept across the North and East, bringing snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
Forecasters warned that the cold snap could lead to power outages and hazardous travel conditions during Thursday’s commute and beyond.
A storm affecting much of the Great Lakes, upper Ohio Valley, and mid-Atlantic was expected to push further into the Northeast, creating dangerously icy conditions, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported early Thursday. Major cities including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston were bracing for impacts, with school closures enacted as a precaution in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Timing and Impact
- Washington, D.C.: Freezing rain expected to end by 10 a.m. ET
- New York City: Wintry mix clearing by noon
- Boston: Snow and freezing rain tapering off by 4 p.m.
Forecasters anticipated up to half an inch of ice in eastern West Virginia, northern Virginia, and parts of south-central Pennsylvania, potentially causing power outages and tree damage. Additionally, up to a quarter-inch of ice was forecast northwest of the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington to Philadelphia, making untreated roads treacherous.
New England was expected to receive between 2 and 5 feet of snow. The NWS emphasized the dangers of even small amounts of freezing rain, warning that icy surfaces could create hazardous conditions for both pedestrians and drivers.
"Freezing rain is the worst. Even just a glaze can make stepping outside—and especially driving—very dangerous," the NWS stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler echoed the warning on NBC’s TODAY show:
Travel Disruptions
- Roads: Overnight, commercial vehicles were banned on multiple Pennsylvania interstates as a precaution.
- Air travel: Over 165 flights were canceled and more than 330 delayed since 3 a.m. Thursday, according to FlightAware.
What’s Next?
The severe weather is expected to subside Thursday evening, but high winds will follow as a new low-pressure system moves in from southeastern Canada. A blizzard warning remains in effect for Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.
Another storm system is expected to bring:
- Great Lakes snow and Ohio River Valley ice later this week
- Icy conditions in the mid-Atlantic from Saturday into Sunday
- Light snow along the I-95 corridor on Super Bowl Sunday
On the West Coast, heavy rain is forecast for California, with several feet of snow possible in the Sierra Nevada. Higher elevations in northern California and southern Oregon could see over a foot of snowfall. By Friday, this system will shift toward the Great Basin and northern Rockies before reaching the northern Plains, where there’s a 70%-90% chance of at least 4 inches of snow.
Meanwhile, as the North and East endure wintry conditions, the South is experiencing unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s from the Southwest to the southern Plains.
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