(The United States is grappling with the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern, a massive weather system that has claimed at least 13 lives and left over 1 million homes and businesses without power across the South and Northeast.)
On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the storm triggered what aviation experts are calling the largest cancellation event since the pandemic, with over 11,400 flights canceled in a single day. Major hubs like Ronald Reagan National (DCA), LaGuardia (LGA), and Philadelphia (PHL) were forced to cancel over 90% of their schedules as heavy snow and catastrophic ice paralyzed infrastructure. Tennessee was hit hardest by power outages, with more than 330,000 customers in the dark, followed by significant blackouts in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
As the storm moves off the East Coast today, Monday, January 26, the recovery effort is being hampered by record-breaking Arctic air. President Donald Trump has approved emergency disaster declarations for nearly 20 states and the District of Columbia, while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that restoration efforts in iced-over southern regions could take “days or even weeks”. With another 3,800 flights already canceled today, the travel and utility “carnage” is expected to ripple through the workweek.
