What we covered
• Deadly cold: At least 12 people died in the coldest temperatures of the winter and tens of millions were under cold alerts for the long-lasting frigid temps.
• Crippling blow: Over 1 million customers lost power during the peak of the storm after damaging ice, with hundreds of thousands of outages lasting into the next day.
• No travel, no school: Over 19,000 flights were canceled during during the storm, leading to the worst day for flight cancellations since the pandemic. Schools in major cities canceled classes or moved to remote learning after the storm.
• Over a foot of snow: More than 2.5 feet of snow fell during the storm, which spread a foot or more to over a dozen states.
Our live coverage has ended. Click here for the latest on the winter storm.
Latest videos
Despite an annual snowball fight tradition being cancelled by organizers, people still turned out to the Washington Monument to enjoy the snowy weather. CNN's Michael Yoshida reports from the scene.
Ice brought down power lines and snapped trees across Mississippi.
Reporting from Louisville, Kentucky, Meteorologist Derek Van Dam explains how hopes for a record-shattering snowfall have been largely dashed thanks to sleet.
Video captured by photojournalist Rod Griola shows snow-covered roads and neighborhoods in West Orange, New Jersey, as the storm moves through the area.
Power lines accumulate ice in Rolling Fork, MS.
A water main break in Pineville, North Carolina, just south of Charlotte, in freezing temperatures shut down portion of highway after it turned everything to ice, according to CNN affiliate WSOC.
This is satisfying to watch. Six staggered snow plows clear this road in the Philadelphia area for a procession of vehicles that follow, almost like a NASCAR pace car.
A couple of inches of snow have fallen in Philadelphia so far.
Meteorologist Ryan Knapp caught thundersleet on camera outside of the NWS office in Shreveport, LA.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino reports from Central Park in New York City where freezing cold temperatures weren't keeping people from using whatever tools necessary to sled and trek out in the snow on Sunday.
How to stay safe in cold weather, according to a doctor
As much of the country faces frigid temperatures, we asked CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at the George Washington University, about what you should know about cold weather safety.
Why does extreme cold pose health risks?
Wen: Extreme cold stresses the body in multiple ways. Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, which raises blood pressure and forces the heart to work harder. Breathing cold air can irritate the airways, and prolonged exposure increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, which can be extremely dangerous. Cold weather also reduces dexterity and balance, making falls more likely.
What is the most common mistake people make during prolonged periods of extreme cold?
Wen: The most common mistake is underestimating risk. People may assume that they know how to handle cold weather and then go outside without proper clothing, stay out longer than planned, and ignore early warning signs from their body.
Is it safe for children to play outside in the snow?
Wen: The key is supervision and time limits. Parents should make sure children wear insulated, waterproof clothing, as well as dry gloves and socks. Set clear time limits and bring children inside for warm-up breaks. Watch for warning signs such as pale or reddened skin, shivering, irritability or tiredness.
The storm dropped so much snow, you can see it from space
This weekend’s storm brought a huge stripe of snow from the Rockies to the Northeast. At least 18 states reported 12 inches or more of snow in one or more locations.
Now, with sunlight streaming across most of the country, you can see all that snow via GOES-19 weather satellite imagery.
Note: Snow and clouds have similar white coloring in the loop above, but motion differentiates the two: Anything moving is clouds.
States from Oklahoma and Kansas to Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are almost completely snow-covered. Most of the Northeast is too, but clouds are obscuring the view to the surface.
7 deaths in New York City potentially related to winter storm, cold, mayor says
Seven New Yorkers died over the weekend as the city experienced some of the coldest temperatures and highest snow accumulation in recent years, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday.
While a cause of death for the individuals has yet to be determined, Mamdani said, some of the seven individuals in the past had “interactions with our shelter system.”
“The difficulty we have, frankly, is that it is still too early to attribute the cause of death, and therefore it’s too early to tie it to the storm specifically,” Mamdani said.
A spokesperson for the mayor said five of the individuals were found Saturday going into Sunday morning when the snow began to fall. The other two were found on Sunday.
With cold temperatures expected to continue into the rest of the week, Mamdani said a “code blue” will remain in effect in the city. The emergency measure allows the city to relax homeless shelter intake procedures and deploys 24-hour outreach teams to canvass city streets to proactively bring vulnerable individuals inside.
“We haven’t seen this kind of cold for eight years, and it is debilitating,” Mamdani said.
New York City mayor says the city is "back up and running"
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hailed city workers Monday morning for their work helping to prepare for the storm, as New Yorkers begin to dig out from the more than 8 inches of snow that blanketed the city.
“We prepared for this storm together, and we rode this storm out together,” Mamdani said during a briefing in the Blue Room of City Hall. “Now, while the worst is behind us, there is still more to be done as we clear the snow and restore our city. Our top priority remains ensuring that every New Yorker can remain safe and warm throughout this prolonged cold.”
New York City public schools were closed Monday, with students learning remotely. School buildings are expected to reopen and classes are expected to resume on Tuesday.
Mamdani has acknowledged that some school children were disappointed not to have had a traditional snow day.
“I did visit a classroom this morning remotely alongside the chancellor and reiterated my offer to students that they could pelt me in the face” with a snowball, Mamdani said. “We’re very excited about that.”
Mamdani also said he expects all city services, including public transportation, to be fully back up and running on Tuesday.
More than 2 dozen cold temperature records have fallen in the wake of this winter storm
Brutal cold has set in behind the snow, sleet and ice and it’s setting new daily record cold temperatures in the Plains. More records are expected to fall in the South and East as the cold lasts through at least this week.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, dropped to 0 degrees early Monday, breaking the previous record low of 7 degrees set in 1963. Fayetteville, Arkansas, also set a record low of minus-9 degrees, smashing the previous record of 7 degrees set in 1985.
New record lows were set or tied on Sunday in 21 locations. A bone-chilling low of minus-25 degrees broke a 1950s record of minus-24 in Alliance, Nebraska.
Russell, Kansas, fell to minus-16 degrees, easily breaking the minus-8 record set in 1957. Farther east, Joplin, Missouri, saw a low of 0 degrees beating the 1961 record of 4 degrees.
Sunday also saw record cold highs. Wichita Falls, Texas, only experienced a high temperature of 19 degrees; the which broke the 1961 record of 23 degrees. Oklahoma City reached a high of just 13, beating the record of 15 degrees set in 1905.
Storm reports paint weekend storm's massive footprint
There’s no doubt about it, this weekend’s storm was big. Storm reports submitted to the National Weather Service tell the tale of the multi-threat, sprawling storm.
These reports span just over 2,300 miles of the US, from the Rockies to New England. A majority are from snow (seen as blue diamonds in the image above) and ice (pink squares), which were the storm’s most serious impacts.
A handful of the reports from southern Louisiana into far southwestern Georgia (yellow/orange squares) are from severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and a few tornadoes that rumbled to life on Sunday as the frigid, Arctic air clashed with warm Gulf moisture.
Kentucky officials investigating whether 3 deaths were caused by storm
Officials are investigating whether three deaths in Kentucky were caused by the winter storm, Gov. Andy Beshear announced at a Monday news conference.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health will issue a determination when the investigation concludes. There was no information immediately available on where in the state the three deaths occurred or any other additional details.
Across the US, at least 12 people have died as a result of the winter storm and brutal cold.
New Yorkers enjoy snowy morning as crews clear roadways
Before the sun rose over Central Park in New York City, tourists and New Yorkers alike were enjoying the snow.
People brought out their makeshift sleds and dogs to enjoy one of the biggest snows in recent years in the city’s largest park.
NYC sanitation workers cleared the roads in and around the park, while spraying salt to keep the ice from forming.
Here are the sights and sounds of a snowy NYC:
Dangerously cold wind chills add to concerns for those without power and cleaning up
Cold weather advisories or extreme cold warnings are in effect for 33 states this morning.
Widespread wind chills below zero are expected in the Midwest and interior Northeast. Single digit wind chills above zero will reach into the Deep South and rest of the Northeast.
In northern Minnesota, wind chills could drop as cold as 45 degrees below zero, making frostbite possible to exposed skin in less than 10 minutes.
This prolonged period of dangerously cold conditions is especially concerning for those without power.
A few tips to help stay warm: wear layers of loose-fitting and warm clothing, close blinds or curtains and cover doors to reduce drafts. Close off rooms to concentrate heat. Be sure to never use generators indoors.
If you’re cleaning up outside, be sure to cover your head, nose, fingers and toes and take breaks as needed. Staying hydrated can also help prevent frostbite. Temperatures will remain colder than average for most areas east of the Rockies this week, so the snow won’t be going anywhere quickly for many.
Widespread flight disruptions continue Monday from the winter storm
Air travelers on Monday are still facing widespread disruptions, with 3,992 US flights canceled and 2,024 delayed as of 10 a.m. ET, according to FlightAware, following the worst day for U.S. flight cancellations since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airlines canceled more than 11,600 flights on Sunday according to FlightAware. Airline analytics firm Cirium said airlines axed roughly 45% of all scheduled US departures, making it the highest cancellation day since the pandemic.
The last time cancellations were higher was March 30, 2020, when more than 12,000 flights were scrubbed as COVID shut down air travel. On a typical day, fewer than 1% of US flights are canceled, Cirium said.
Cirium data shows Monday’s cancellations are down sharply from Sunday, but remain elevated, with roughly 14% of flights canceled so far, underscoring that recovery is underway but uneven.
A publicly available Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control operations plan says Northeast airports remain “under evaluation” as crews continue snow removal and runway clearing, with airports reopening gradually rather than all at once.
One of the biggest challenges for airlines is that airplanes and flight crews are out of position after the cascade of weekend cancellations. American Airlines has canceled about 1,200 flights Monday— more than 20% of its schedule —while JetBlue Airways has canceled just under half of its flights.
Major Northeast airports remain hardest hit. Boston Logan International Airport is leading the nation with nearly two-thirds of flights canceled, followed by JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia, each with cancellation rates around 40 to 50 percent so far Monday.
The FAA says air-traffic-control staffing shortages are not currently a limiting factor, but warns that could change and additional delays remain possible.
Winter storm caused highest-ever outages at one time for Nashville utility
This storm marked the highest number of outages at one time in the Nashville Electric Service’s history, with a peak of 230,000, the utility said in a morning update on X.
It surpasses the 200,000 outages reached during the damaging May 2020 derecho, which was one of the largest outages on record for the city.
The company said it had restored power to 60,000 customers in the Nashville metro area on Monday morning, but another 175,000 customers are still without power. At least 97 broken poles were reported across its service area and more than 70 distribution circuits were out and being restored.
The service plans to double its workforce to nearly 300 lineworkers by midday. Contract and vegetation management crews have also been deployed to help reach affected areas more quickly.
Hard-hit Tennessee currently has the most power outages of any state, with over 257,000, according to PowerOutage.us.
The storm is gone, but ice damage is still possible in its wake
Even though the storm is gone from the South and mid-Atlantic, trees, power lines and other surfaces are still coated in ice this morning as brutal cold keeps everything frozen.
Trees and power lines that are still standing could still snap in the coming days under the continued strain of just the ice itself. Half an inch of ice — which 12 states recorded during this storm — can add as much as 500 pounds of weight to power lines.
Introduce some wind into the equation and it’s going to push trees and power lines to their breaking point sooner. Wind gusts up to 25 mph are possible in parts of the Southeast today.
More than 810,000 customers are still without power. Southern states have been hit hardest
With the US at just over 811,000 power outages on Monday morning, power restoration crews are gearing up for a “prolonged” period of getting the lights back on, according to statements from several electrical utilities.
Southern states have been hit the hardest, with ice wreaking havoc on trees and power lines. Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas have the most outages as of Monday morning, according to tracker PowerOutage.us:
• Tennessee: 250,536
• Mississippi: 160,987
• Louisiana: 127,635
• Texas: 62,449
“It will be a prolonged restoration period,” said Mississippi-based North East Power’s CEO Keith Hayward in a video statement on X Sunday night. Hayward described the damage ice had done to trees in several counties as “devastating” and said crews were working toward getting electrical substations running in addition to fixing poles.
Electric utility Entergy said it has over 143,000 customer outages in its service area, with the bulk in Louisiana and Mississippi. Entergy said it had thousands of crew members out on Monday restoring power.
In Texas, the Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative had reported 16,000 customers without power as of 6:30pm local time on Sunday.
Over half the Lower 48 is covered in snow
The weekend winter storm significantly expanded the snow footprint across the US and now snow is on the ground for just over 56% of the Lower 48.
Southern areas covered in snow will experience some melting this week, but the frigid temperatures across the eastern US will keep much of the snow around this week.
Woman killed in Massachusetts by truck working on snow removal
A woman was killed and her husband was injured on Sunday after being struck by a snow plow reversing in a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) parking lot, Transit Police Department Superintendent Richard Sullivan said.
The truck was being driven by a 33-year-old man contracted by the MBTA to assist with snow removal in Norwood, a town southwest of Boston. The man remained on the scene and cooperated with Transit Police Department detectives. The incident is under investigation, Sullivan said.
“This is an unimaginable horrific incident,” Sullivan said in a statement.
“On behalf of the Transit Police and the entire MBTA organization we express our most sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends. Our thought (sic) and prayers are with them.”
Boston has one of its 10-snowiest days on record
Boston measured 16.7 inches of snow on Sunday, its eighth-most snow in a calendar day on record.
Another 1.9 inches has fallen since midnight, bringing their storm total to 18.6 inches as of Monday morning. Some additional light snow could add a bit to the city’s final total for this winter storm.
The 16.7 inches is still well off the city’s record of nearly 2 feet of snow (23.6 inches) that fell on both Jan. 29, 2022 and Feb. 17, 2003.
Is it getting harder to pay your winter heating bills? Share your story
Higher electricity and natural gas prices combined with colder than average winter temperatures are expected to push home heating bills up by 9.2% this winter, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.
These rising utility bills are adding to Americans’ affordability woes.
Are high winter heating bills straining your wallet? How are you trying to keep your costs down while staying warm?
Share your story with CNN. You may be contacted by a reporter for a future story.
"Devastating" damage in northern Mississippi will prolong power outages, utility says
Repairs and restoration to electrical infrastructure in northern Mississippi will be “prolonged” due to widespread damage and unsafe conditions, Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association (NEMEPA) CEO Keith Hayward said in a social media post.
“The damage to the trees and vegetation is devastating,” Hayward said.
Around 24,000 NEMEPA customers, more than 75% of its customers, were still without power in northern Mississippi, according to poweroutage.us. The storm has snapped poles and downed lines across the area.
Hayward said this storm was worse than Mississippi’s historic 1994 ice storm, when outages took 23 days to restore.
While modern upgrades may speed repairs compared to 1994, Hayward warned restoration won’t be quick. Crews stopped work overnight for safety and are expected to resume at daylight with additional crews arriving to assist.
About 157,000 customers are still without electricity in Mississippi, according to poweroutage.us
