10,000 flights cancelled and fears of tornadoes: Historic US snowstorm turns deadly

Published 4 hours ago
Source: metro.co.uk
A snow removal machine is seen working while a Boeing 737 American Airlines passenger aircraft is parked at gate on the tarmac of LaGuardia airport in New York on January 25, 2026. A massive winter storm on January 24, 2026 dumped snow and freezing rain on New Mexico and Texas as it swept across the United States towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. Shoppers stripped supermarket shelves as the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast huge snowfall in some areas and possibly "catastrophic" ice accumulations. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
A Boeing 737 American Airlines plane is parked on the tarmac at LaGuardia airport, which has been forced to close (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

A historic snowstorm ploughing through the US has turned deadly with five deaths in New York City alone over the weekend.

LaGuardia airport, which deals with more than 400 flights a day, has been forced to close after being blanketed by heavy snow.

The closure was reported by Fox Weather in the US.

The devastating weather has forced the cancellation of some 10,000 flights, and another 2,000 tomorrow, leaving passengers stranded at airports across the US.

The flight cancellations are considered to be one of the biggest in US history.

Around 185,000,000 people are under winter weather alerts with some parts of the country under as much as 12 inches of snow.

A total of 23 states are under a state of emergency, power lines have been knocked out by ice, and supermarket shelves have been stripped bare.

Nearly a million people are without power nationwide, with 330,000 homes affected in Tennessee alone.

Airport crew plow snow during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
There were similar scenes in Philadelphia after airport crew tried ploughing snow away (Picture: AP)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock (16429909y) People walk on snow covered streets in Times Square during a winter storm on January 25, 2026 in New York. Winter storm impacts New York City, USA - 25 Jan 2026
People brave the snow in New York City’s Time Square during the winter storm (Picture: Shutterstock)

The five deaths in New York were confirmed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, though he did not confirm if the deaths were weather-related.

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He said: ‘While we do not yet know their causes of death, there is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold and how vulnerable many of our neighbours are, especially homeless New Yorkers.’

Have you been left stranded in the US due to the storm? Get in touch at [email protected]

According to NBC News, two men in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, have died from hypothermia.

USA WEATHER MAP SNOW STORM 25.01.2026
This map shows the extent of the huge snowstorm that has gripped the east side of America (Picture: National Weather Service)

Panic shoppers left supermarkets bare earlier in the week in a race to stock up on supplies.

Snowfall by state so far

Much of the east side of the US has been hit by widespread snow and freezing rain.

Here’s the snowfall by state according to ABC News.

Arkansas – 8 inches

Illinois – 11 inches

Ohio – 11 inches

Indiana – 13 inches

Kansas – 8 inches

Missouri – 12 inches

Oklahoma – 7 inches

New Jersey – 6 inches

Tennessee – 5 inches

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Gent Shkullaku/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock (16432759c) Near empty shelves are seen as residents stock up on supplies ahead of a cold front expected in the area in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2026. A massive winter storm was set to drop a mix of freezing rain and heavy snow on some 160 million Americans starting January 23, threatening to bring dangerously icy conditions. Multiple US states declared states of emergency as meteorologists said the storm would soon begin marching across much of the continental US, covering a wide swath of the country's middle including the Rockies and Plains. Empty Shelves Ahead Of Expected Heavy Snowfall And Freezing Temperatures In Washington, District Of Columbia, USA, Washington DC, Virginia. - 24 Jan 2026
Supermarkets across the US were stripped bare ahead of the storm (Picture: Gent Shkullaku/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
epa12680208 A Bobcat removes snow from the East Front Plaza of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 25 January 2026. The DC-area is expected to receive 5-9 inches of snow from the massive storm, which stretches across much of the US. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A tractor removes snow from the East Front Plaza of the US Capitol in Washington, DC (Picture: EPA)
People sled at Philadelphia Art Museum steps during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The wild weather didn’t stop people from snow sledging in Philadelphia(Picture: AP)

ABC News reported wind speeds around New York’s JFK Airport were reaching 32mph, impacting visibility for drivers.

And if snow and ice wasn’t bad enough to endure, parts of Florida, Georgia and Alabama are under a tornado watch.

At least 20 states are under a state of emergency. They include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

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NewsUSNew YorkTravel NewsUS newsWeatherZohran Mamdani
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