Overview
- Forecasters warned of significant to locally catastrophic ice, long-duration power outages, and dangerous wind chills as the system pushes from Texas toward the Northeast through Sunday.
- At least 15–17 states and Washington, D.C., issued emergency declarations, and FEMA staged millions of meals, hundreds of generators, and blankets as officials urged residents to avoid travel and prepare for prolonged hazards.
- The Department of Energy told grid operators to be prepared to deploy up to 35 GW of backup generation under potential Federal Power Act orders to prevent blackouts.
- Utilities activated emergency operations and pre-positioned crews — including CenterPoint’s roughly 3,300 workers in the Houston area — while ERCOT projected normal grid conditions even as ice threatens local distribution lines.
- Air travel unraveled nationwide, with roughly 6,000 weekend cancellations reported and the FAA warning some airports could close as ice and snow hit major hubs.