Panic Buying Chaos as 'Worst Winter Storm Ever' Threatens 200 Million Across US

Grocery store shelves from Texas to the Northeast are being stripped bare as Winter Storm Fern, described by meteorologists as a 'potentially legendary' event, barrels toward more than half of the US population.

As of Thursday, 22 January 2026, over 200 million Americans are under weather alerts. Governors in Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina have already declared states of emergency, warning of a 'crippling' combination of heavy snow, catastrophic ice, and a polar vortex that could shatter temperature records across 30 states.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter weather alerts across large swaths of the country, describing the system as potentially historic in scale.

With dangerous cold, heavy snow and crippling ice forecast from the Southern Plains to the Northeast, Americans are rushing to stock up on essentials amid fears they could be trapped indoors for days.

The system is expected to deliver a 'crippling' combination of heavy snowfall, catastrophic ice accumulation, and a polar vortex outbreak.

A Storm of Unusual Scale and Severity

Meteorologists are sounding an alarm over a 2,000-mile 'snow zone', saying Winter Storm Fern combines multiple threats rarely seen together at this intensity. Forecast models indicate snowfall could exceed 12 inches in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, including major population centres such as Washington, DC, and New York City, while a dangerous ice storm targets the Southern Tier.

The storm began gathering strength on Thursday and is forecast to peak between Friday and Sunday. The impact zone stretches from the Southwest and Southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Northeast, with wind chills predicted to plummet as low as -50°F (-45°C) in the Upper Midwest.

The threat of being 'trapped for days' has sparked widespread panic buying in major metropolitan areas. In Dallas and Nashville, residents have reported chaotic scenes at grocery stores, with staples such as bread, milk, and bottled water sold out within hours of the latest forecast update. Many retailers have struggled to restock as transport links begin to buckle under the first waves of sleet.

The sheer scale of the 200-million-person impact zone has created a logistical nightmare for supply chains, as families scramble to secure generators, rock salt, and emergency heating fuel before the 'weather whiplash' sets in on Friday evening.

Arctic Air and the Health Crisis

Health officials are particularly concerned about the 'bone-chilling' temperatures expected to follow the initial snowfall.

The sharp drop in temperature, falling up to 30 degrees below seasonal averages, poses an immediate risk of hypothermia and frostbite. With power outages considered 'likely' due to ice-heavy trees snapping onto power lines, millions face the prospect of surviving sub-zero nights without central heating.

Emergency rooms are bracing for a surge in weather-related injuries, ranging from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by improperly used generators to fractures from falls on 'invisible' black ice.

The NWS has urged citizens east of the Rockies to complete all preparations by Friday morning, as the 'historic proportions' of the storm could render roads impassable for a week.

Paralysed Travel and Infrastructure

The transport sector is already seeing the first signs of total paralysis. Major airlines have preemptively cancelled thousands of flights scheduled for the weekend at hubs in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston.

On the ground, authorities have warned that interstate highways, including the I-95 and I-40, may become 'dead zones' where motorists could become stranded in their vehicles for hours.

In states like Texas, where the electric grid has faced historic failures in previous winters, the 'long-duration' nature of this storm is causing deep-seated anxiety.

Utility companies have placed thousands of technicians on standby, but officials admit that if the 'crippling ice' materialises as predicted, repairs could be impossible until the sub-freezing air mass begins to retreat late next Tuesday.

A Test of Preparedness

While forecasters stress that precise impacts will vary by location, officials' message is consistent: this storm could be one of the most disruptive winter events in years.

As Americans brace for days of dangerous cold and isolation, the coming weekend will test not just infrastructure, but the country's ability to cope with extreme weather on a continental scale.

Originally published on IBTimes UK