A massive winter storm sweeping across the United States has left around 730,000 people without electricity in the southern part of the country and is now moving toward the East Coast, causing widespread transportation chaos and severe disruptions.
Since Sunday morning, more than 190 million Americans have been under winter weather warnings, stretching from New Mexico through North Carolina and as far north as Maine.
The winter storm, named Fern, continues to batter the southern U.S., bringing snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a vast area. In the early hours of Sunday, snowfall also reached the northeastern parts of the country.
According to forecasts, the storm is moving eastward throughout Sunday morning, bringing snow from Wichita, Kansas, to Cincinnati. The first snowflakes are expected to fall in Washington, D.C., in the early morning hours, while Philadelphia is forecast to see snow around 7:00 a.m. local time on the East Coast.
Freezing rain is expected through sunrise in areas including Shreveport (Louisiana), Memphis, Atlanta, and Raleigh (North Carolina).
By late morning, regions west of the Mississippi River are expected to begin drying out as the storm shifts toward the Northeast.
New York City is expected to see snowfall later in the morning, while warmer air moving north from the south could turn snow into a wintery mix in Washington, D.C.
Between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET, a band of heavy snow and wintery mix is expected to impact the I-95 corridor, with snowfall rates reaching up to 2.5 centimeters per hour. Philadelphia is forecast to experience freezing rain or mixed precipitation, while New York and areas farther north are expected to see mostly snow.
By around 6:00 p.m. ET, warmer Atlantic air is expected to penetrate the I-95 corridor, causing frequent transitions between snow, freezing rain, sleet, and rain, while New England is expected to receive heavy snowfall.
By approximately 9:00 p.m. Sunday, New York City is expected to experience a wintery mix, while New England and inland areas of the Northeast will continue to see snow. Light precipitation may persist into Monday morning, gradually weakening by midday.
Over 10,000 Flights Canceled
More than 10,000 flights were canceled on Sunday within, to, or from the United States, including all flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and most flights at Philadelphia International Airport.
The storm has also caused serious disruptions to power grids in several states, including Texas and Tennessee.
Power outages have affected over 244,000 customers in Tennessee, 134,000 in Texas, 123,000 in Mississippi, nearly 120,000 in Louisiana, and about 40,000 in Kentucky.
