Over 100‑Vehicle I‑196 Pileup in Michigan as Arctic Blast Spreads Snow and Sub‑Freezing Temps to Deep South
More than 100 vehicles — including up to 40 tractor‑trailers — were involved in a pileup on I‑196 near Zeeland Township, Michigan, amid blizzard‑like whiteout conditions from an intense snow squall, resulting in multiple non‑life‑threatening injuries and an hours‑long closure for removal and cleanup as motorists and bystanders tried to help ambulances navigate the wreckage. The crash was part of a sprawling Arctic blast affecting roughly 200 million people with wind chills as low as −40 in parts of the North, widespread winter‑storm warnings across the Midwest and Northeast, and rare measurable snow or flurries reaching as far south as Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.
📌 Key Facts
- More than 100 vehicles, including up to 40 tractor‑trailers, were involved in a pileup on I‑196 near Zeeland Township, Michigan; multiple people sustained non‑life‑threatening injuries and the highway was closed for hours for removal and cleanup.
- The crash occurred in blizzard‑like whiteout conditions from a major winter storm; on‑scene video and an eyewitness described 'absolute chaos,' with people on foot trying to help ambulances weave through the wrecks.
- The same storm produced an intense snow squall across parts of western New York.
- The event is part of a larger arctic blast affecting more than 200 million people, with wind chills as low as −40°F reported in parts of the northern U.S.
- The National Weather Service issued warnings for extremely cold temperatures or winter storms from northern Minnesota through Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and forecasters expect bitter cold to expand into the Northeast, southern Plains and mid‑Atlantic and possibly persist through the rest of January.
- The system dropped rare measurable snow (1–3 inches) across parts of Alabama and Georgia and produced flurries as far south as the Florida Panhandle, with freeze and wind‑chill alerts reaching down to Orlando and Fort Myers through at least Wednesday.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 20, 2026
4:23 PM
Dangerously cold temperatures and whiteout conditions slam northern U.S.
New information:
- CBS segment explicitly ties the 100+ vehicle pileup on a Michigan interstate to 'blizzard-like' whiteout conditions from a major winter storm.
- Confirms that an intense snow squall also battered parts of western New York as part of the same storm system.
- Provides on‑scene video context showing the scale of the pileup and visibility conditions, reinforcing that weather was a key factor.
12:32 AM
Fierce winter storm causes 100-car pileup, brings snow as far south as Florida
New information:
- Confirms that more than 100 vehicles, including up to 40 tractor‑trailers, were involved in the I‑196 pileup near Zeeland Township, Michigan, with multiple non‑life‑threatening injuries and hours‑long closure for removal and cleanup.
- Places the Michigan crash within a larger arctic blast, noting more than 200 million people are in the path of the cold, with wind chills as low as minus‑40 in parts of the North.
- Reports rare measurable snow (1–3 inches) across parts of Alabama and Georgia and flurries as far south as the Florida Panhandle over the weekend, plus freeze or wind‑chill alerts reaching down to Orlando and Fort Myers through at least Wednesday.
- Details National Weather Service warnings for extremely cold temperatures or winter storms from northern Minnesota through Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and notes expectations that bitter cold will expand into the Northeast, southern Plains and mid‑Atlantic and could persist through the rest of January.
- Includes on‑scene eyewitness description from a driver in the Michigan pileup calling conditions 'absolute chaos' with people on foot trying to help ambulances weave through the wrecks.
January 19, 2026