Monster winter storm kills at least 10 in US, triggers emergencies and outages

WASHINGTON: A powerful winter storm sweeping across large parts of the United States has killed at least 10 people, disrupted travel and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands as freezing conditions persisted into Monday.

The storm brought widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain, while officials warned that an Arctic air mass trailing the system would drive temperatures to dangerously low levels for several days, prolonging disruptions to daily life.

The US National Weather Service said similar conditions were expected to continue into Monday morning, urging people to limit travel and take precautions against extreme cold.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outdoors over the weekend amid freezing temperatures. While the deaths have not been officially linked to the weather, he said the situation highlighted the dangers of extreme cold.

In Texas, authorities confirmed three deaths, including a 16-year-old girl who died in a sledding accident. Two people in Louisiana died from hypothermia, according to the state’s health department.

PowerOutage.com reported that more than 840,000 customers were without electricity by Sunday night, largely across southern states. Tennessee alone reported over 300,000 outages after ice brought down power lines, while Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia each recorded more than 100,000 customers without power.

Officials warned that outages are particularly dangerous as the southern US faces record-breaking cold. Authorities from Texas to North Carolina and New York urged residents to stay indoors.

“Stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” Texas’s Emergency Management Division said in a post on X.

Read More: Death toll in Indonesia landslide rises to 17 as dozens remain missing

The winter storm moved into the northeast on Sunday, bringing snow and sleet to major cities including Philadelphia, New York and Boston. At least 20 states and Washington, DC, declared states of emergency.

In the US capital, residents woke up to several inches of snow followed by heavy sleet. Federal offices were closed preemptively for Monday, while major airports in Washington, Philadelphia and New York cancelled most flights.

Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that more than 19,000 flights nationwide have been cancelled since Saturday.

President Donald Trump said the federal government was monitoring the situation closely and coordinating with affected states, urging people to stay safe and warm.

Meteorologists said the storm was caused by a disrupted polar vortex, allowing Arctic air to spill southward across North America. The weather service warned that heavy ice could lead to prolonged power outages, extensive damage and life-threatening travel conditions.

The NWS also cautioned that wind chills in parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest could plunge below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit, conditions that can cause frostbite within minutes.