Winter Storm 2026

As a major multi‑state winter storm threatens millions with snow, ice and extreme cold, the National Weather Service is issuing winter storm and extreme cold watches to signal elevated risk while timing and location are still being refined, with warnings to follow when confidence is high and preparations should be finishing. NWS officials stress that criteria are region‑specific (what counts as “extreme cold” in Georgia differs from North Dakota), offer local guidance — for example Dallas–Fort Worth advises insulating outdoor faucets, leaving indoor faucets dripping and locating the home shut‑off ahead of 0–28°F forecasts — and urge people to check their local NWS office by ZIP code and begin stocking fuel, winter survival kits and driving precautions when watches are posted.

FEMA has pre‑positioned 250,000 meals, 400,000 liters of water and 30 generators at Camp Minden, Louisiana, with shuttle drivers ready to move supplies from facilities in Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia, and has 28 urban search‑and‑rescue teams on standby to deploy at governors’ request. The preparations come as forecasts warn a 2,300‑mile winter storm threatening more than 240 million people from Arizona to Maine has prompted thousands of flight cancellations and multiple state emergency declarations, amid concerns about FEMA’s capacity after staffing cuts under the Trump administration.