Winter Storm Fern: Thousands Of Flights Canceled, Millions Under Alert

Some 9,000 flights set for this weekend have already been canceled in anticipation of Winter Storm Ferm.

The storm, which meteorologists say could cause as much damage as a hurricane, will likely knock out power and impede travel both in the sky and on the roads for millions.

Currently, there are about 140 million Americans under a winter storm warning, ranging from New Mexico to New England.

The Weather Channel, though, says that ultimately 230 million people could be affected by Winter Storm Fern. More than a dozen states have already issued states of emergency, it noted.

“Take this storm seriously, folks,” the National Weather Service posted to X on Saturday. “Moderate to major impacts are expected from the Central US through to the Northeast today through the weekend.”

The NWS said to expect “hazardous to impossible driving conditions” and urged folks in affected areas to “avoid travel if at all possible.”

“Widespread closures and disruption to infrastructure may also occur,” it added. “Stay weather aware.”

Take this storm seriously, folks.

Moderate to major impacts are expected from the Central US through to the Northeast today through the weekend.
– Hazardous to impossible driving conditions are expected. Avoid travel if at all possible.
– Widespread closures and disruption to… pic.twitter.com/bR76NpsrEy

— National Weather Service (@NWS) January 23, 2026

The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore told The Daily Wire on Friday that much of the country will experience three different types of precipitation from the storm: snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

“In Dallas, they’re gonna have multiple precipitation types,” he said. “They’re going to start to snow, maybe go to freezing rain, and then end with the snow again. Nashville starts to snow, sleet, freezing rain, then ends as snow or freezing drizzle. Washington, D.C., starts to snow, heavy snow, goes to sleet, then freezing rain, maybe even a little rain just east of D.C., and then back to cold behind this cold front.”

Ice, though, could be the most dangerous form of precipitation.

“You can have power loss with a 1/4 inch of ice,” Cantore explained. “You can get more extensive power loss with a 0.5-inch [of ice]. Severe widespread power loss with 3/4 of an inch, and once you get over one inch of ice, now you’re talking about bringing the lines down and trees down.”

Related: America’s Favorite Meteorologist Breaks Down This Weekend’s Wild Weather Forecast