Winter storm latest: 844,000 people without power as historic storm breaks temperature records
Five dead in NYC as winter storm pummels US and forces school closures
- Five people died in New York City as temperatures plunged during a fierce winter storm that is bringing heavy snow and bitter cold to much of the United States.
- “While it’s still too early to determine the causes of death, it is a reminder that every year New Yorkers succumb to the cold,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, adding that Monday will be a remote learning day for students in the city. “The danger of this weather cannot be overstated.”
- The severe winter storm has swept across the US, from the South to New England, bringing widespread sleet, freezing rain, and snow, alongside the plummeting temperatures.
- The extreme weather has caused over 880,000 power outages nationwide, with Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi experiencing the highest numbers of affected customers. Travel has been severely disrupted, with more than 11,000 flights cancelled and 12,000 delayed across major US airports.
- Forecasters warn of "catastrophic ice accumulation" and sustained bitterly cold conditions, which are expected to prolong the danger and complicate recovery efforts.