A winter storm currently battering more than half of the United States has resulted in 20 deaths, with thousands to tens of thousands of flights canceled daily, while hundreds of thousands remain without power.
Foreign news agencies report that the intensifying winter storm sweeping across most of the United States forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights and delay many more on Monday, 26 Jan 2026 GMT+7, as freezing rain and heavy snow disrupted travel and paralyzed transportation networks.
FlightAware data shows that by Monday afternoon, approximately 5,300 flights had been canceled and over 4,300 delayed, following more than 11,000 cancellations on Sunday—the highest daily figure since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Meanwhile, PowerOutage.us reported that on Monday, more than 800,000 people were still affected by power outages spanning from Tennessee to the Carolinas, with Tennessee experiencing the highest number of outages; officials are working urgently to restore service.
The winter storm has caused at least 20 deaths in the US, both directly and indirectly. Since Friday, New York State reported eight fatalities, while Tennessee, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Kansas, and Pennsylvania have also reported deaths.
Texas police confirmed that a 16-year-old girl died in an accident while sledding.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) stated that a low-pressure system over southern New England is expected to move northeastward over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, bringing heavy snow to parts of the Northeast and freezing rain across various areas of the Mid-Atlantic region.
NWS also warned of an increasing likelihood of another severe winter storm impacting the eastern United States over the upcoming weekend, emphasizing that details are still uncertain and that updates will be provided continuously throughout the week.
AccuWeather experts estimate that the winter storm affecting more than 24 states may cause initial economic damages and losses between $105 billion and $115 billion, marking the highest impact since the Los Angeles wildfire incidents.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued advisories stating that weather-related restrictions—including snow, freezing rain, and low visibility—are affecting major aviation hubs such as Boston and the airspace over New York.
HotelPlanner, an online hotel booking platform, reported a surge in cancellation rates of up to 36% across the US and Canada in the days leading up to and during Winter Storm Fern.
The storm is also disrupting freight transportation. Parcel delivery giant UPS warned that severe weather conditions could halt services in certain areas and cautioned about further impacts on air transport networks, including at its main distribution center in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Source:Reuters