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Power outages and canceled flights as winter storm brings snow, sleet and ice
A man carries a shovel as he crosses a street in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood in New York on Sunday.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
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Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
An immense and powerful winter storm is blanketing the eastern two-thirds of the United States with a mix of heavy snow, dangerous ice and frigid temperatures, affecting tens of millions of people from New Mexico to New England.
Nearly a million customers across the South were without power on Sunday evening, as the effects of the weekend’s massive weather system began to take hold. Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas were among the hardest hit.
States from Missouri to Maine were under a winter storm warning on Sunday. National Weather Service forecasters were particularly concerned about freezing rain and ice.
“Whenever we see these big ice events, we’ll see various hazards; obviously bridges and overpasses being frozen over, and with trees and various different things that could fall into the roadways or potentially fall on houses,” Nicholas Price, an NWS meteorologist in Texas, told NPR earlier.
The storm severely disrupted air travel. By Sunday evening, over 11,000 flights had been canceled in the U.S. and more than 4,700 were delayed, according to FlightAware.
Officials in multiple states also warned drivers to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Reporters from across the NPR Network are covering the storm in each state — the impact and how officials are responding. We’ve also got tips for interpreting different weather notices, protecting your home or vehicle ahead of time, and for staying safe once the storm hits.
Alabama
- Northwest portions of the state, including Lauderdale County, are some of the areas impacted most by the storm.
- Under 2,000 people are without power in western parts of Lauderdale County, according to Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency Director Brad Holmes. Up to an inch of ice has accumulated on power lines and trees, with over 100 trees reported down across roadways throughout the county, Holmes told NPR on Sunday.
- About 11 vehicles got stuck or slid off the road, with at least three crashes, while five people have been transported to the hospital because of falls, Holmes also said.
- Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency and activated the Alabama National Guard. More than 350 service members have been activated and are assisting efforts in North Alabama, according to the Alabama National Guard.
- The Alabama Department of Transportation on Sunday urged people to “avoid travel after temperatures drop and wait for conditions to improve.”
Arkansas
- Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Thursday and deployed at least 170 national guard service members to assist with the storm. The Arkansas National Guard said it was assisting Arkansas State Police.
Connecticut
Delaware
- By Sunday afternoon, several areas had recorded more than 6 inches of snow.
- Gov. Matt Meyer urged residents to stay home. “This is not a let-me-run-out-to-the-convenience-store-real-quick kind of storm,” he said in a video on social media. “Let’s do everything we can to keep each other safe.”
- Beginning Sunday morning in New Castle and Kent Counties, driving was limited to emergency workers, public utilities, health care providers, snow removal operations, food and fuel deliveries and those with approved waivers.
- Department of Transportation Community Relations Director C.R. McLeod said staff brined roads statewide on Friday to get ahead of freezing conditions once precipitation began.
District of Columbia
Georgia
- The storm brought freezing rain, sleet, and snow to parts of northern and middle Georgia. A winter storm warning is in effect through Monday.
- The University of Georgia closed its campus and announced that all in-person classes, campus events and activities will be canceled on Monday. The impacts of the storm will likely be felt days after the worst of the weather has passed, as officials say hazardous road conditions could affect Monday morning commutes.
For more information, head to WUGA.
Illinois
- A snow emergency has been declared by the City of Springfield’s Office of Public Works through Monday at noon.
- There have been eight collisions with snowplows, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. “That’s 8 fewer plows clearing roads. If you can, please stay home. If you must drive, slow down, don’t crowd the plow, and give our crews plenty of space to work safely,” the agency said on Sunday.
Indiana
- The NWS warned of frostbite and said wind chills could reach 20 degrees below zero on Monday in northern Indiana.
- The Indiana Department of Transportation said Sunday there have been “multiple reports of crashes and slide-offs” and is urging people to stay off the roads.
- Indiana’s electric grid operator declared a conservation alert, asking customers to conserve energy and prepare for the possibility of “planned outages.”
- Parts of Indiana recorded more than 12 inches of snow by mid-day Sunday and forecasters warned of another 1-3 inches late Sunday into Monday in the northern part of the state.
Kentucky
A vehicle drives through snowy conditions on Sunday in Louisville, Ky.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images
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Jon Cherry/Getty Images
- At least 75,000 people were without power “and that number is expected to increase as ice accumulates,” Gov. Andy Beshear said on Sunday.
- There are 113 warming centers across the commonwealth, according to officials.
- The NWS says central and eastern Kentucky could get the most snow they’ve seen in 10 years. Ice accumulations are more than expected, Beshear said.
- In the city of Lexington, the storm “will more than likely take its place among the top 10” since 1887, says Emergency Management Director Rob Larkin.
- Kentucky Utilities has an instant text and call alert service to inform customers about outages.
Louisiana
- More than 140,000 customers were without power on Sunday afternoon.
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency, which his office says “activates the State’s emergency response and recovery program, allowing for direct state assistance to support operational measures at the parish level.”
- In the northern city of Monroe, Mayor Friday Ellis declared a state of emergency.
For more resources on Louisiana, head to KEDM.
Maine
- Snow was expected to pick up in the far northern state Sunday afternoon, but the NWS office in Gray said Sunday morning that it had already received reports of light snow and flurries.
- Wind chills could reach 25 below zero on Sunday through Monday. “Probably the coldest temperatures are going to be seen up north and across the Western Maine mountains,” said Steven Baron, a meteorologist in Gray.
- Snow was forecast to fall Sunday afternoon through Monday evening.
Maryland
- Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and urged people to stay off the roads and to check on neighbors.
- Hundreds of flights were canceled at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Sunday.
- The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter is looking for people to foster dogs.
Massachusetts
Mississippi
- More than 150,000 customers were without power on Sunday afternoon. Gov. Tate Reeves said power restoration was hindered by icy roads across the state.
- Todd Jordan, mayor of Tupelo, told NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe that the state has been experiencing power outages. He said the biggest issue the state is seeing is downed trees due to freezing rain.
Missouri
Nebraska
- Several cities, including Lincoln and Omaha, are activating warming centers for people seeking a reprieve from the frigid temperatures.
New Hampshire
- As the Granite State braces for extreme cold, including temperatures of -30 degrees and wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour, New Hampshire Public Radio has resources for finding shelters and staying safe in the frigid weather.
- Warming centers were open across the state, with people encouraged to call 211 to find the nearest location, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said.
- New Hampshire Fish and Game Sergeant Matthew Holmes is warning hikers against venturing out during the storm, but also offered recommendations on how to stay safe in hazardous conditions. “Although [hiking] is something that I worry about, and often drives me nuts, I know it’s going to happen and we’re going to have folks out there,” he said.
New Jersey
- On the heels of her inauguration, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced an emergency declaration that went into effect for all 21 counties. Sherrill also announced a commercial vehicle travel restriction on interstate highways.
- Snow fell steadily across New Jersey on Sunday. Trenton had received more than 7 inches of snow by early afternoon, the NWS reported.
- State offices were set to be closed Monday, and New Jersey Transit temporarily suspended bus, light rail and Access Link on Sunday.
- Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport warned businesses not to violate the state’s price gouging law during the snowstorm.
New York
- State officials said most of New York is expected to receive 1-2 feet of snow, while New York City and Long Island could get sleet.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to stay indoors, layer to stay warm and check on their neighbors.
- The largest school district in the U.S. will hold remote classes on Monday. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said city schools would operate remotely, though school buildings would be closed.
- Parts of the North Country could see wind chills as low as 50 below zero. Much of Central New York is also preparing for a week-long winter cold snap.
- Bonus: Gothamist has recommendations for how to make the most of the snowstorm.
For more resources by region in New York, head to WSKG.
North Carolina
For more resources in North Carolina, including where to find shelter, head to WUNC.
Ohio
- The National Weather Service is predicting a total snowfall of eight inches to a foot in central Ohio this weekend.
- Rock salt shortages may make driving in Northeast Ohio this winter more treacherous than usual.
- As extremely cold temperatures grip Northeast Ohio, emergency doctors are warning that frostbite can develop faster than many parents realize, especially in children. “Thirty minutes or less typically is all the time that’s required to develop frostbite in exposed individuals when the windchill is near zero,” said MetroHealth emergency physician Dr. Jeremiah Escajeda. She advises dressing children in layers, keeping extremities covered and changing out of wet clothing.
For the latest in Ohio, head to WVXU.
Oklahoma
- The winter storm has exited Oklahoma, as the state saw multiple rounds of snow on Sunday.
- While the storm has largely passed, officials say hazardous road conditions remain and the biggest danger going forward will be the cold temperatures that are forecast to drop as low as -15.
Pennsylvania
- By early afternoon Sunday, multiple Pennsylvania cities had already seen more than half a foot of snow. Philadelphia received 7.4 inches as of 1 p.m. ET, while 8.4 inches fell in Reading and Allentown received 9.2 inches.
- Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents to “please remain off the roads unless you absolutely have to travel.” City schools will be closed Monday. SEPTA suspended all bus and light rail operations.
- Photos show the extent of Philadelphia’s first major storm of the year.
- Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor said he’s “expecting the worst” from the storm, which is projected to drop between 9-14 inches of snow on the area. He said he is prepared to call in additional contractors and haulers to deal with the snow.
- This could be the most significant winter storm in Pittsburgh in five years. “We’ll be on the northwest fringe of this storm track where the heavy snow will be occurring,” NWS meteorologist Chris Leonardi said of Pittsburgh.
- Central Pennsylvania will also see double-digit snowfall and cold temperatures.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday that 2,600 plow trucks were out clearing Pennsylvania roads.
South Carolina
- NWS offices across the state issued a variety of alerts, including an ice storm warning and a winter weather advisory, which will run through Monday morning.
- Gov. Henry McMaster urged South Carolinians to heed emergency warnings.
- State Transportation Secretary Justin Powell said 3,000 road crew personnel will work statewide through the storm’s duration. Powell said 1.5 million gallons of brine have already been put on the roads.
- Forecast models show ice thickness between 0.5 and 1 inches occurring around Greenville and Rock Hill by the time the winter storm’s precipitation ends on Monday. Low temperatures on Tuesday morning are expected to reach the single digits across parts of the Upstate.
Tennessee
Memphis residents shovel snow from a sidewalk in downtown Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday.
Kevin Wurm/AFP via Getty Images
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Kevin Wurm/AFP via Getty Images
- The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) said Sunday that much of the state is experiencing snow or sleet, with freezing rain set to come later. Much of the state will also receive a quarter-inch of ice, while some areas will see a half-inch, TEMA said.
- More than 316,000 customers have lost power in Tennessee, and power restoration could take days. WPLN’s Rose Gilbert told NPR’s Weekend Edition that Nashville had seen a spike in outages. “People have reported hearing these loud cracking noises, with trees coming down — as well as what looks like lightning, but is related either to transformers blowing out or arcing from the power lines,” Gilbert said.
- But there were also moments of levity as the storm beared down. On Saturday, Gilbert observed dozens of people sledding at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville “with everything from old-fashioned wooden sleds to pool floaties and cardboard boxes. It was a bit of a party scene. There was kind of an ad hoc après-ski sort of feel.”
For the latest in Tennessee, head to WKNO.
Texas
- At least one person is confirmed to have died from extreme cold, according to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson.
- The Austin area is experiencing a thicker than anticipated layer of frozen precipitation, making road conditions treacherous.
- Colder temperatures are still to come: “Tonight, it is going to get very, very cold, so any moisture that’s left out there … it is going to refreeze,” Brian Mason, the city of Houston’s emergency management director, said on Sunday. “When the sun goes down, please make sure you’re off the roads and take the burden off our first responders that will be out in the field.” Southeast Texas is under an extreme cold warning through Tuesday morning.
- Early voting in the Houston City Council election was initially scheduled to continue through Tuesday, but the polls are closed Sunday and Monday because of inclement weather. Schools across the state also announced closures.
For more resources in Texas, head to Texas Public Radio.
Vermont
- Forecasters predict snowfall reaching 8 to 16 inches, with up to 2 feet possible in some areas.
- Seven extreme cold weather shelter locations will be open over the weekend. Most are part of a state-funded network of overflow shelters that activate when temperatures fall into the negatives.
- The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles has also placed a travel restriction on Route 9 through 7:00 p.m. Monday.
Virginia
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger issued an emergency declaration and said it will take time for state agencies to clear roads in the coming days and asked people to stay home.
- The Virginia State Police on Sunday urged people to avoid travel, saying wet roads across the state will turn icy overnight.
- Virginia State Police also told NPR that as of Sunday night they had responded to 378 crashes, 28 of which had injuries. There had been one fatal crash, which Virginia State Police was investigating in northern Virginia in Fairfax County, although weather was not being looked at as a factor in this crash.
West Virginia
- As temperatures drop, the West Virginia Department of Transportation urged people to be aware of black ice: “We need you to PAY ATTENTION and SLOW DOWN when traveling in these conditions.”
- Warming centers for unhoused people have opened across the state. “We won’t turn anybody away,” said shelter director Crystal Neff. “We’ll find ’em a sleeping bag or a blanket, whatever we have, to make sure everybody’s safe.”
News
Why cruise ship passengers with possible hantavirus exposure went to Nebraska
The National Quarantine Center is located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Nebraska Medicine
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Nebraska Medicine
Sixteen of the 18 passengers transferred to the U.S. from a cruise ship where there was an outbreak of hantavirus arrived in Omaha, Neb., on Monday for evaluation after disembarking the vessel in Spain’s Canary Islands over the weekend.

Of the 15 U.S. citizens and one dual U.S.-British citizen who arrived in Nebraska, all but one are currently being housed in the National Quarantine Unit. That patient tested positive for the virus and was being housed in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, officials said at a Monday news conference. The 15 people in the quarantine unit will continue to be monitored for signs of the illness.
Passengers carry their belongings in plastic bags after being evacuated from the MV Hondius after docking in the Granadilla Port on Sunday in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain.
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Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Nebraska may seem an unlikely location to process these individuals, but it is home to the National Quarantine Unit — the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S. — and the separate Nebraska Biocontainment Unit. They are highly specialized facilities located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and widely considered among the best in the world.
The $1 million, five-room biocontainment unit was dedicated in 2005. It was a joint project with Nebraska Health and Human Services and the UNMC. It is set up to safely provide medical care for patients with highly hazardous and infectious diseases and was used in 2014 to treat two doctors infected with Ebola. The National Quarantine Unit was completed in late 2019. It cost nearly $20 million, according to the Associated Press. Both facilities were used during the COVID-19 epidemic.

“We are prepared for situations exactly like this,” Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement. “Our teams have trained for decades alongside federal and state partners to make sure we can safely provide care while protecting our staff and the broader community. We are proud to support this national effort.”
Two additional U.S. passengers on the cruise ship — a couple, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus — were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, where another advanced biocontainment facility is located.
When the biocontainment unit was first dedicated more than 20 years ago, the biggest concerns were anthrax attacks and severe acute respiratory syndrome, more commonly known as SARS, Dr. Phil Smith, who spearheaded the efforts at Nebraska Medical Center to create the biocontainment unit, told the AP in 2020. Smith died last year.
A hallway leading to rooms at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Nebraska Medicine
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Nebraska Medicine
The quarantine unit features 20 negative-pressure rooms designed to keep potentially harmful particles from escaping by maintaining lower air pressure inside than outside the rooms. The single-occupancy rooms provide patients with attached bathrooms, exercise equipment and Wi-Fi, according to the medical center.
“We have protocols in the quarantine unit that provide for safe care of these of these persons, including just all the activities of daily living so that they can … have a comfortable stay but also have it in an area that’s protected and limits spread of the pathogen,” Dr. Michael Wadman, the medical director of the National Quarantine Unit, said at a Friday news conference.
The biocontainment unit, by contrast, is a patient-care space where people are able to receive medical treatment, Dr. Angela Hewlett, medical director of the biocontainment unit, told reporters Monday.
She emphasized that the facility — which has a 10-bed capacity — operates independently from the quarantine unit and has its own dedicated air-handling system. “We don’t share [it] with any of the rest of the facility,” she said, noting that the unit uses rooftop HEPA filtration and is designed “very differently” from what most people typically imagine in a hospital setting.
One of the rooms in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.
Nebraska Medicine
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Nebraska Medicine
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, speaking at Monday’s news conference, welcomed the recently arrived patients, who are among nearly 150 people from 23 different countries who were aboard the MV Hondius when the illness most commonly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents broke out. As of Monday, the World Health Organization has reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three deaths.
“We’re glad that you’re here,” Pillen said. “We’re going to ensure that you have the best world-class care possible.”
Pillen also sought to reassure Nebraskans that the facilities are safe and secure: “We’re working diligently to ensure no one leaves the security in an unsecured way at an inappropriate time,” he said. “No one poses a risk to public health, just walking out the front door of the streets of Omaha.”

The hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain of the illness, one that can be spread, though rarely, from person-to-person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can cause severe respiratory disease, with early flu-like symptoms.
“The Andes variant of this virus does not spread easily, and it requires prolonged, close contact with someone who is already symptomatic,” according to Adm. Brian Christine, the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke at Monday’s news conference. “Even so, we have taken this situation very seriously from the very start.”
“The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low,” he said.
The full quarantine period for hantavirus is 42 days, Christine said, but he added that the patients would be allowed to go home if they remained asymptomatic.
“Right now, the passengers that are all in the assessment phase — they’re going to be here for at least a few days while we do assessments and the coordination on what happens next,” he said, adding that they had the option to remain in the quarantine facility for the full period, for “the safest and most effective option for them.”
News
Video: Americans Exposed to Hantavirus on Cruise Ship Arrive in United States
new video loaded: Americans Exposed to Hantavirus on Cruise Ship Arrive in United States
transcript
transcript
Americans Exposed to Hantavirus on Cruise Ship Arrive in United States
Eighteen passengers who were aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship with a deadly hantavirus outbreak, landed in Omaha on a U.S. government medical flight. The passengers were being monitored at medical facilities in Nebraska and Georgia.
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We’re working diligently to ensure no one leaves the security in an unsecured way at an inappropriate time. No one who poses a risk to public health is walking out the front door of the streets of Omaha or beyond.
By Axel Boada
May 11, 2026
News
White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect pleads not guilty in federal court
The man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last month pleaded not guilty at a Monday arraignment in federal court.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, wearing an orange shirt and trousers, was handcuffed and shackled as he was brought into the courtroom in Washington, D.C., federal court. His handcuffs were attached to a chain around his waist, which clanked as he was led to the defense table.
Speaking on behalf of Allen, federal public defender Tezira Abe said her client “pleads not guilty to all four counts as charged,” including attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, in connection with the April 25 incident at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones advised the court that they plan to start producing their first tranche of discovery to the defense by the end of the week.
Officials said Allen, a California teacher and engineer, was armed with multiple guns, as well as knives, when he sprinted through a security checkpoint near the event where Trump and other White House officials had gathered with journalists.
He was arrested after an exchange of gunfire with a U.S. Secret Service officer who fired at him multiple times, a criminal complaint said. Allen was not shot during the exchange. The officer, who was wearing a ballistic vest, was shot once in the chest, treated at a hospital and released.
Trump and top members of his Cabinet and Congress were quickly evacuated from the room as others ducked under tables.
Allen was initially charged with attempting to assassinate the president, transportation of a firearm and ammunition through interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted him on a new charge in the shooting of a Secret Service agent.
Moments before the attack, Allen had sent his family members a note apologizing and criticizing Trump without mentioning the president by name, according to a transcript of some of his writings provided to NBC News by a senior administration official. Allen also wrote that “administration officials (not including Mr. Patel)” were “targets.”
He also appeared to have taken a selfie in his hotel room. Prosecutors said Allen, who was dressed in a black button-down shirt and black pants, was “wearing a small leather bag consistent in appearance with the ammunition-filled bag later recovered from his person,” as well as a shoulder holster, a sheathed knife, pliers and wire cutters.
Officials have said they believe Allen had traveled by train from California to Washington, D.C., before checking into the hotel.
Allen’s sister, Avriana Allen, told law enforcement that her brother would make radical comments and constantly referenced a plan to fix the world, but said their parents were unaware that he had firearms in the home and that he would regularly train at shooting ranges.
Records show that he had purchased a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun in August 2025 and an Armscor Precision .38 semiautomatic pistol in October 2023.
After his arrest, Allen told the FBI that he did not expect to survive the incident, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine. He was briefly placed on suicide watch at the Washington, D.C., jail, where he’s being held.
Allen is expected to appear in court for a June 29 hearing.
At Monday’s arraignment, his legal team said they plan on asking for the “entire office” of the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to be recused because of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s apparent involvement in the case in a “supervisory role.” Federal public defender Eugene Ohm said some of the evidence they receive from the government will further inform that decision.
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