Winter Storm Fern has brought emergency declarations across the US, with snow, sleet, and ice creating hazardous driving conditions and widespread power outages. At least three people were found dead in New York City, and tens of thousands remain without power nationwide.
Approximately 140 million Americans, over 40% of the population, are under winter storm warnings from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service warns of heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. Ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch have been reported in parts of Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.
Power outages have surged to nearly 85,000, with Texas reporting over 43,000 outages, Louisiana over 6,000, and Arkansas over 5,000. Electric grid operators have stepped up precautions to avoid rotating blackouts. The PJM Interconnection, serving 67 million people, reported spot wholesale electricity prices soaring above $3,000 per megawatt hour from under $200 earlier.
More than 11,000 flights have been cancelled across the US as the storm disrupts travel. Delta Air Lines urged passengers to reschedule weekend flights. Officials urge people to stay off roads; Tennessee highway patrol Sgt Ellis said in a video, 'It’s not the problem of going on this – it’s stopping. Please stay at home.'
The storm has triggered buying frenzies in grocery stores, reminiscent of early Covid-19 pandemic panic buying. Experts warn that climate change is increasing the frequency of power outages, and the outages may become politicised, as seen after Winter Storm Uri in Texas in 2021.
