Winter storm to bring crippling ice, heavy snow and freezing temperatures

The Texas Department of Public Safety said it has started treating roads across state with brine ahead of the possible winter weather this week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has pre-positioned supplies and is deploying more than 200 call center specialists across the country ahead of the winter storm, according to an agency document obtained by NBC News. 

The agency was harshly criticized after the deadly Texas floods in July for failing to properly staff call centers. 

The document said FEMA is coordinating deployments for 205 call center augmentation specialists to “support individual assistance operations.”

Supplies and equipment include 250,000 meals, 400,000 liters of water, 30 generators and 12 shuttle drivers at Camp Minden, Louisiana.

Furthermore, 24 shuttle drivers are being staged at distribution centers in Greencastle, Pennsylvania; 12 in Fort Worth, Texas; and 22 in Atlanta to rapidly move commodities. 

Twenty-eight urban search-and-rescue teams are also on standby, and FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center and Regional Response Coordination Centers are activated. 

Here are the snowfall predictions for major Northeast metro areas, according to local NBC meteorologists:

• Washington, D.C.: 6-10 inches
• Philadelphia: 9-13 inches but less along the shore
• New York City: 8-12 inches
• Hartford, Connecticut: 10-18 inches
• Boston: 10-16 inches but 7-10 inches at Cape Cod

Thus far, 12 states have issued declarations of states of emergency ahead of the winter storm.

They are: Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama (for 19 counties), Mississippi and Missouri.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Texas isn’t "built" for the incoming winter blast but assured the public that "we’re used to flexing that muscle of getting through emergencies."

Hidalgo said at a news conference today that the county, which is home to Houston, is bracing for very cold temperatures, as well as freezing rain and wind, over the next three to four days.

“We’re expecting a hard freeze. And why is this significant? Because a hard freeze can impact infrastructure. It can impact pipes,” she said. 

Hidalgo warned of some scattered power outages and dangerous road conditions if there’s ice. She urged residents to “be where you need to be by 9 p.m. on Saturday.”

She said county precincts are starting road treatments tomorrow, and the state Transportation Department started treating roads today. 

Ed Hassinger, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, said the storm will "impact the majority of the population of the state of Missouri, fairly significant impacts across the state."

Melissa Delia with the National Weather Service in St. Louis said significant snowfall and dangerous temperatures will affect the region late tomorrow into Sunday. She said the heaviest snow and greatest impacts will hit southern Missouri south of I-70. 

Hassinger said crews have been mobilized in anticipation of the storm, and a team of 3,000 will be deployed across the state working two shifts a day to clear roads until conditions return to normal. 

He urged the public to stay home and refrain from traveling. State Highway Patrol Capt. Scott B. White warned: "We expect hazardous road conditions across much of the state, and that can quickly turn a minor issue into a life-threatening emergency."

Gov. Kathy Hochul warned New Yorkers today about the cold that will follow the snowstorm expected to wallop the lower part of the state.

In the north, wind chills could be minus 40 to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit, while in the southern part of New York, wind chills could be as cold as minus 10.

Hochul warned that the cold can be "absolutely deadly" and urged New Yorkers to stay inside. If you do have to go outside, she advised, be fully bundled and take hot, caffeine-free beverages to stay warm.

She also discussed the snowy forecast, which predicts that New York City will get more than a foot of snow Sunday and Monday, and recommended that New Yorkers stock up on supplies now and hunker down when the weather gets bad.

Falling snow in Lowville, N.Y., today. Cara Anna / AP

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a state of emergency declaration ahead of the weekend's winter storm, which is expected to have “significant impacts across the state,” he said.

“Additionally, this declaration allows the state to request a waiver for commercial motor carriers and drivers assisting with emergencies to ensure that fuel deliveries are delivered quickly to Louisiana to prevent shortages,” Landry said.

He urged people to “plan ahead” and check on their neighbors, warning that some areas may have to go “some time” without electricity.

“If you live in the very rural parts of the state and your electricity goes out, and it’s because of downed trees and power lines, it could be a while before you get power restored,” Landry said.

Landry said people should stay off the roads even days after the storm, as cold temperatures will leave roads frozen over.

Chicago Public Schools said all classes and after-school activities will be canceled tomorrow. 

“We have been carefully monitoring the forecast over the past 24 hours and have determined that, given the frigid temperatures predicted for tomorrow and a National Weather Service Warning that wind chills could reach -35 degrees, it will be unsafe for staff and students to travel to school,” the district said in a statement.

Some factors the school district considers in canceling school are the ability of students and staff members to arrive at school safely and potential issues with heating or power outages, the statement said.

Chicago could spend more than 48 hours below 10 degrees Fahrenheit during the weekend storm.

Classes are expected to resume Monday.

The Texas power grid system, which failed during a winter storm five years ago, could be put to the test this weekend as the region faces subfreezing temperatures and dangerous wind chills.

But Texas officials and power company executives do not expect a widespread failure like the one that left millions of people without power and led to more than 200 deaths in 2021. They point to infrastructure improvements made since that storm that make the system less vulnerable to freezing temperatures.

An arctic air mass is set to move in tomorrow, and it will affect regions spanning 2,000 miles across the country, from Texas to the East Coast. At least 132 million people are under weather-related alerts nationwide, stretching from the Arizona-New Mexico border to upstate New York.

Dallas, which was severely affected by the power grid failure, is forecast to get 36 straight hours of freezing precipitation, with an accumulation of 1 to 3 inches of snow and 0.25 to 0.50 inches of ice.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth said n X that wind chill values of minus 10 to zero degrees are expected across the state.

Read the full story here.

Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers canceled their annual Fan Fest event scheduled for Saturday because of the weather forecast for frozen precipitation in North Texas and “in the interest of safety for players, fans, and employees.”

The number of states where college games were being adjusted showed the large path of the approaching storm.

The Sun Belt Conference pre-emptively shook up its women’s basketball schedule, moving around the start times on several games from today through Saturday. The American Athletic Conference also adjusted its weekend men’s and women’s basketball schedules, moving some games up to tomorrow.

When asked whether she is worried that Virginia will be the next state targeted by ICE, Gov. Abigail Spanberger commented on the challenges of working with federal agencies.

Ahead of this weekend’s severe weather, Spanberger said that a person being afraid of calling the police in the event of an emergency “is a tragedy in and of itself.”

“Anyone who is afraid as it relates to some of the larger immigration enforcement efforts, our goal, our intent, is that folks on the road are doing response duties to emergencies or in efforts to clear roads,” she said.

She referenced the recent death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis as an example of "large-scale, mass activities that create confusion, distrust and ultimately … challenges coordinating with federal agencies."

"Our goal, their (Virginia National Guard) intent, in this emergency is to get people who need to get to a hospital, to a hospital; to get people who are stranded on the roads back home to someplace safe; those who, you know, are in danger, to get them someplace safe, whether it’s a warming station or to a hospital," Spanberger said.

Street Superintendent Alfred Oyoyo said Charlotte, North Carolina, will launch a 24-hour response operation to monitor forecasts and respond to roadway conditions. 

“Depending on the type of precipitation or conditions we see, we’ll pull from that plan what our response looks like, and at that time, it’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck, 24-hour operation,” Oyoyo said.

City Arborist Laurie Reid also cautioned residents about the risk of fallen trees and power lines brought down by heavy ice during this weekend’s storm. 

“Ice will definitely add a lot of extra weight to those branches,” Reid said. “Once you start getting up to a half-inch and greater, you’re going to get larger branches that are going to start to break.” 

North Carolina has declared a state of emergency ahead of the weekend storm. Gov. Josh Stein urged the public to “get ready” and plan in case power goes out and to stay off the roads.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an emergency declaration to “allow state agencies to be prepared for impacts all across the Commonwealth.”

“We are expecting large amounts of snowfall, freezing rain and sleet, and we also expect Virginia will experience dangerously low temperatures, power outages and unpredictable road conditions,” Spanberger said at today's news conference.

Spanberger asked Virginians to stay off the roads from Saturday night through Monday morning.

“It’s a difficult storm to respond to and will elongate the amount of time to clear roads,” she said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a press conference today that the state Department of Public Safety and the state National Guard will be available to perform rescues and escort people to their homes, warming centers or hospitals — whichever is appropriate.

The state will set up warming centers that provide food, water and a place to warm up.

"The goal is to make it through with no loss of life," Abbott said.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency ahead of this weekend's winter storm, directing $250,000 to the state's disaster response and recovery effort.

The statement from Sanders said that the executive action is in response to expected “dangers, hardships, and suffering throughout the state.”

Six to 12 inches of snow is expected in Little Rock, Arkansas. The threat of severe winter storms and high fuel demand could result in “difficulty in distribution of necessary heating fuel,” Sanders said.

"The affected political subdivisions require supplemental assistance from the state to respond to and recover from the expected losses," the statement said.

The state of emergency also allows for emergency response vehicles and commercial carriers delivering essential supplies to bypass weigh stations.

The head of grid operator ERCOT in Texas said the agency is preparing for the storm and is "not anticipating any reliability concerns on the statewide electric grid as a result of this weather event."

He said that since Winter Storm Erin, the agency has conducted more than 4,000 inspections of power-generating and transmission facilities to ensure the systems can withstand extreme cold and ice.

He urged Texans to stay away from downed power lines and to contact their local utility if power is out at their home.

The Texas governor said the ERCOT grid is operating at full capacity and that he does not anticipate a power outage during this storm, unlike the 2021 disaster that left Texans powerless for days when the grid collapsed.

"The ERCOT grid has never been stronger, never been more prepared, and is fully capable of hailing this winter storm," Abbott said Thursday. Local power providers are also well prepared for what's to come, he added.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he is enacting a disaster declaration covering 134 counties across the state ahead of the incoming storm, which he described as severe.

The declaration is meant "to make sure that every possible resource can be made available ... so they can respond quicker, faster and better," he said.

Abbott urged Texans to prepare now and to stay off the roads once the storm is underway.

He acknowledged that it is not yet clear how hard the entire state will be hit and that some regions may be affected more than others.

The state government is already preparing roads to minimize freezing as much as possible, Abbott said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that the city would deploy 2,000 sanitation workers for 12-hour shifts on Saturday. Tomorrow, the city will begin citywide pre-snow treatment on highways, major streets and bike lanes.

Mamdani also said that Code Blue will be in effect, referring to a weather emergency notice indicating that any unhoused individual seeking shelter in New York City will not be denied.

The mayor expressed his hopes to keep schools open on Monday and said families and students will be notified directly. The city will send out 700 salt spreaders and snowplows as snowfall intensifies.

"My recommendation to New Yorkers ... is that if you're interested in buying some groceries or getting a new winter coat, today I would recommend is the day to do so. Do not leave it until the weekend," Mamadani said.

Millions of Americans are bracing for a bitter winter storm, with wind chills expected to be well below zero in some areas. NBC News’ Brian Cheung reports on how to stay safe during a brutally cold winter storm.

Tips on how to stay safe during a winter storm

04:56

The National Weather Service said 132 million people are under alerts for snow, sleet and freezing rain ahead of the storm.

A team of hurricane hunters — the aviators known for flying into the eye of Atlantic hurricanes — plan to fly over the Gulf Coast this afternoon to gather reconnaissance ahead of the giant winter storm.

Engineers on board will drop sensors across the Gulf, which will pick up on atmospheric conditions, such as wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity. 

The data they gather will be fed into a model to help predict which areas will get pummeled with heavy snow or ice, and when.

Outside of hurricane season, it’s not uncommon for hurricane hunters to fly into winter storms. Since 2018, they have studied atmospheric rivers over the Pacific Ocean — long belts of moisture in the atmosphere, akin to rivers in the sky, that release rain, snow or ice. 

“They’re all over the planet,” said Jonathan Zawislak, the flight director. “The reality is that we have to get out into them sooner in order to forecast better.”

Abbott will give a news conference at 11 a.m. ET ahead of the storm, which is set to slam Texas with snow, ice and freezing temperatures.

Texas' biggest threat could be its power grid, which is ill equipped to handle such intense winter weather. In 2021, after a similarly harsh winter storm, the grid went down, leaving Texans without power for days before it came back online.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said in its daily briefing document that the Department of Energy is coordinating with “response contacts” in the electric sector in preparation for this weekend’s extreme weather. 

“Electricity sector industry partners are holding pre-storm calls and pre-staging equipment and crews,” the briefing said.

FEMA Regions 6 and 4, which include the South and Southeast, are at greatest risk of freezing rain and ice, while the heaviest snowfall is likely across Oklahoma, according to FEMA.

“Freezing rain and sleet may result in treacherous travel, tree damage, and prolonged power outages,” FEMA said.

Kemp announced that Georgia has declared a state of emergency effective immediately, which will last seven days ahead of the snowstorm expected to wallop the state with snow and ice.

Details of the state of emergency should be posted shortly, the governor said.

He also said he issued a call-up of 500 National Guard soldiers who are on standby in case they are needed.

The winter storm headed to the Northeast this weekend could bring more than a foot of snow to New York City and draw comparisons to the city's biggest-ever snowstorm, in 2016.

Blizzard Jonas dropped more than 27 inches of snow on Central Park 10 years ago, breaking a record set 10 years earlier. In 2016, 40 inches of snow was recorded elsewhere along the East Coast.

At the moment, snow is set to start in the city early on Sunday morning and continue through Monday, with about 16 inches forecast, though this could change. The last time New York got more than 8 inches was January 2022.

Kemp will provide updates to the current forecast and detail what the state is doing to prepare for the incoming storm.

It should arrive in Georgia on Saturday, bringing widespread snowfall and a high risk of ice accumulation.

Mike Stewart / AP

A shopper searches for water on nearly empty shelves yesterday in Marietta, Georgia.

George Walker IV / AP

A grocery store in Nashville, Tennessee, yesterday.

Texas-based CenterPoint Energy has hired an extra 600 front-line workers in anticipation of the winter storm set to hit a huge swath of land from Texas to New York tomorrow.

The company, which has 7 million customers across Texas, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio, said in a statement that it would have a total of 3,300 workers for its storm response and three staging sites across the greater Houston area to respond to potential outages.

"We know how important it is for homes and businesses to have the electric and natural gas service they expect and deserve, especially when severe weather is forecasted to impact our region," said Don Daigler, CenterPoint’s senior vice president for emergency preparedness and response.

"Our teams are mobilized across the area now, performing pre-storm checks, conducting additional tree trimming, and preparing to respond to any impacts on our system from the forecasted winter weather conditions, including icy weather, strong winds, and wintry precipitation."

A massive storm system is set to span more than 2,000 miles and impact cities from New York City to Dallas. It comes as residents prepare for a crippling freeze, with temperatures plunging into the single digits and even lower in the northern Plains, where the wind chill could reach nearly minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

04:27

Steep swings in temperatures and frigid wind chills are in the forecast for cities across the United States.

Below are some of the lows forecast in the mornings tomorrow and Saturday, the coldest wind chill expected.

Minneapolis

• Tomorrow morning: Minus 19
• Saturday morning: Minus 17
• Coldest wind chill: Minus 41 Saturday morning

The governors of both West Virginia and Maryland have each declared a state of preparedness ahead of the enormous winter storm expected tomorrow.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland said in a statement last night that Marylanders should avoid travel if possible and follow local forecasts.

"The safety and security of our residents is our top priority. Please remain vigilant, listen to authorities, use common sense, and complete emergency preparations as soon as possible," Moore said.

Gov. Patrick Morrissey of West Virginia said the state's preparedness would extend to all 55 counties.

"Governor Morrisey encourages all West Virginians to remain vigilant in preparation for the storm. That means staying alert to changing weather conditions, monitoring local forecasts, and following any guidance or instructions issued by emergency management and public safety officials," his office said in a statement.

Bitingly cold wind chill of as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit will cause potentially fatal hypothermia and frostbite, forecasters warn.

"These wind chills will pose life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin. Additionally, any power outages caused by the impending major winter storm could prolong and compound this risk. Ensure pets and animals have protection from the cold," the National Weather Service said this morning.

Extreme cold warnings are in place across the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest.

The arctic blast from the north will expand into the northern and central Plains and the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes today and move south into the southern Plains, the Mississippi Valley and the Midwest tonight.

This megastorm could put Texas’ electric grid — and reforms enacted following the disastrous grid failure of 2021 — to the test.

In February 2021, Texas' electrical grid suffered massive outages and neared complete collapse as storms battered the state, leaving millions without power for days in freezing temperatures. More than 200 people died in the disaster, considered the worst infrastructural failure in the state's history.

An investigation by federal energy regulators found a lack of sufficiently weatherized power plants and wind turbines, as well as a shortage of fuel for natural gas power plants, were to blame. Since then, the Texas Legislature has passed laws to improve winter protection and protect the grid's integrity.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch from tomorrow afternoon through Sunday morning, warning that ice accumulation on power lines could lead to outages. Texas is forecast to feel below-freezing temperatures, and possible snow, sleet and ice.

ERCOT — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas which supplies power to 90% of the state — issued a weather alert for Saturday to Tuesday warning of higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves.

“Grid conditions are expected to be normal during ERCOT Weather Watch,” ERCOT said.

ERCOT said it is coordinating preparation efforts with the Texas Energy Reliability Council and the Texas Division of Emergency Management and other agencies, and encourages locals to sign up for grid condition notifications.

A post shared by a meteorologist on social media portends “exploding trees” for parts of the Midwest and the northern Plains this week. 

But is that possible? 

The proper way to describe this is “frost-cracking,” which can happen when water or sap inside a tree freezes and then rapidly expands. That pressure can cause the bark to split or the trunk to crack.

The post by YouTube and social media personality Max Velocity has garnered more than 7 million views since it was posted on X on Tuesday night.

Frost-cracking falls into the same category as “cryoseisms,” or frost quakes, where the same thing happens when water in the ground and/or soil rapidly freezes and then expands, causing loud cracks or boom sounds.

Both frost-cracking of trees and the ground or soils could be possible with this upcoming cold event, specifically in parts of the Upper Midwest such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, where the wind chills will be 40 below or colder.

But this is a rare phenomenon. Even more rare than if it even occurs is if anyone hears it.

Conditions will drop to the upper teens for inland parts of Texas on Sunday night, the National Weather Service office in Houston said in a forecast. It will be warmer along the coast, as high as the upper 30s, but a hard frost is due.

A normal season low for Houston in January is 44 Fahrenheit and the record low for the month is 5 degrees, set in 1930.

South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas have declared states of emergency ahead of this weekend’s major winter storm. 

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s declaration activates the South Carolina Emergency Operations Plan, allows the state National Guard to activate personnel and prepare equipment for deployment, and allows state and local emergency management officials to coordinate response efforts. 

His news release said forecasters report a mix of sleet, ice, snow and freezing temperatures — a dangerous mix expected to create hazardous travel conditions and impact utilities across parts of the state. 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said his declaration allows for the state department of defense to provide up to 250 Georgia National Guard troops, prohibits price gouging, and mobilizes resources, and will last through Tuesday. 

Kemp’s release said this storm could be a “statewide event” and warns of snow and severe cold that could result in black ice.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged the public to “get ready,” and plan in case power goes out and to stay off the roads. He said the state emergency response team has been activated, and transportation crews have been racing against the clock to ensure equipment is placed and “ready to respond to the storm and its aftermath.”

Major airlines have issued travel advisories and are offering waivers in anticipation of the winter storm.

Delta Air Lines said the winter weather may impact 41 airports, including the airline’s Atlanta hub, from tomorrow to Sunday. Customers are able to change their bookings with no fees.

United Airlines issued a travel alert saying 35 airports across the South and the Northeast may be impacted, and is also waiving fees and fare differences for rescheduled trips.

American Airlines said customers traveling through 34 impacted airports can also rebook travel from tomorrow to Sunday for no fee.

Southwest Airlines said scheduled service at 26 airports may be disrupted, and passengers can rebook without airfare change fees. Southwest also said canceled or significantly delayed flights may be eligible for a refund.

As a dangerously cold weather front plunges into the U.S., much of the country can expect heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain in the days ahead.

The Winter Storm Severity Index from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center forecasts how dangerous the conditions will become for travel and key infrastructure.

NBC News is tracking the center’s data on the interactive map below, which shows the storm forecast for the next 72 hours. It will be updated with the latest data every two hours.

Read the full story here.