Tens of Millions of Americans Bracing for Major Winter Storm

Major cities including Washington, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston could be impacted, while the agency warned of ice accumulation in the South.

A forecast map released by the U.S. National Weather Service on Jan. 22, 2026, shows, in various shades of blue and pink, winter weather alerts that were issued by the agency. NWS

The National Weather Service (NWS) said that a winter storm could bring significant amounts of ice accumulation from New Mexico to the Carolinas, potentially causing widespread tree damage and power outages, starting Friday and lasting until the weekend.

Major cities including Washington, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston could see snow that would make it difficult to travel. Around 100 million people were under some type of federal winter weather watch, warning, or advisory on Wednesday ahead of the storm, according to a map updated by the NWS on Thursday.