Weather warning for US travelers as ‘potentially catastrophic’ Storm Fern set to bring ice storm conditions
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
If you were hoping to leave the house this weekend, you may want to think again.
While winter is perfect for cozy nights in and dusting off our favorite knitwear, it also delivers disruptive weather that can slam the breaks on our best-laid plans.
From Friday, millions of Americans will be impacted when a 'potentially catastrophic' ice storm ravages large parts of the country. The major weather event, named Storm Fern, will hit 'from Texas and Oklahoma to the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states,' according to the Weather Channel.
It's set to bring ice, snow, sleet and freezing rain, while forecasters warn that significant ice accumulation could weigh down trees and power lines, causing widespread power outages and making roads extremely dangerous. Airports may also seen delays and cancellations.
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Keith Avery, CEO of the Newberry Electric Cooperative in South Carolina, told the Associated Press: “If you get a half of an inch of ice — or heaven forbid an inch of ice — that could be catastrophic."
Meanwhile Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said he doesn't know how people are going to 'deal with' the 'potentially catastrophic event.'
The Weather Channel predicts that from Friday (January 23), parts of the Southern Plains - Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas - will see snow, sleet and freezing rain.
From Friday night into Saturday morning, the storm is set to spread east into the Tennessee Valley, Appalachians and Carolinas.
And from Saturday night into Sunday morning, the impact will expand into Georgia, South Carolina, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while lingering in the South.
Travel across any of the affected areas could be incredibly risky this weekend.
Road travel will be hazardous, especially in southern states with limited snow and ice equipment.
The Weather Channel adds that some roads in parts of the South and Appalachians 'could become impassable by this weekend.'
Major airports, including Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis and Charlotte, could also see significant delays and cancelations.
If you're due to fly from Friday onwards, be sure to keep an eye on updates from your airline.
Temperatures are set to stay below freezing after the storm, meaning ice may not melt for days, worsening impacts.
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 21, 2026
Conditions are coming together for a major winter storm to impact the eastern half of the United States late this week into this weekend, bringing extreme cold, snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a large swath of the country. pic.twitter.com/7EveWR5TiA
Storm Fern is being driven by an arctic air mass from Canada, which is set to surge south.
Warm, moist air from the Gulf will ride over the cold air, creating ideal conditions for freezing rain and snow.
National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Jackson told the AP that the clash of air and rain will likely result in 'a major winter storm with very impactful weather, with all the moisture coming up from the Gulf and encountering all this particularly cold air that’s spilling in'.