A major winter storm that originated over the Pacific Ocean on Jan. 21, 2026 swept through the U.S., leaving millions freezing and without power with an unconfirmed number of weather related deaths.

Over half of the states were pummeled with snow, some areas getting more than a foot of snow and even experiencing record-breaking temperatures of 10 to 40 degrees fahrenheit, a new temperature to below average, says NOAA.

According to PBS News, there were over 800,000 power outages in only a single morning, most of them being in New Mexico, Maine, and 18 other states around the south where people were most affected. The heavy snow had also led to a few thousand flight delays and cancellations throughout the world.

Residents experiencing the harsh weather had trouble doing simple tasks outside the house because of the heavy snow. Nell Fields, a citizen living in Falmouth, Massachusetts who was affected by this snow, said that she had to shovel lots of snow just to take her dog out for a walk.

“I feel that the universe just put a big, huge pause on us with all the snow,” Fields said in an interview for PBS.

Another large storm may be coming, and it will likely affect the southern Mid-Atlantic states, the Carolinas and Southern Appalachia, CBS News said in an article. It may be the longest lasting amount of cold seen in years, says the National Weather Service. 

To prepare for snowstorms like this, it’s best to have everything ready in case one does happen again.

Some things you will need besides the basic food and water are first aid supplies, flashlights with extra batteries, battery-powered radio to receive information, emergency heat sources, and more that you can read from the National Weather Service.

“The government would prepare for a storm and help its citizens in that region weather that storm and avoid some of the more dangerous consequences that could happen because of it,” Buena science teacher Michael Yorke said.