Huge US winter storm to bring crippling snow, sleet and ice from Texas to Boston

ATLANTA (AP) — Bread was flying off the shelves, salt was being loaded into trucks and utility workers were nervously watching forecasts Thursday as a huge winter storm that could bring catastrophic damage, widespread power outages and bitterly cold weather barreled toward the eastern two-thirds of the U.S.

The massive storm system is expected to bring a crippling ice storm from Texas through parts of the South, potentially around a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, and then a final punch of bitterly cold air that could drop wind chills to minus-50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-46 Celsius) in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Forecasters are warning the damage, especially in areas that get a large amount of ice, could rival a hurricane. About 160 million people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings — and in many places both.

The storm was expected to begin Friday in New Mexico and Texas, with the worst of the weather moving east into the Deep South before heading up the coast and thumping New England with snow.

Cold air streaming down from Canada caused Chicago Public Schools and Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa to cancel classes Friday. Wind chills predicted to be as low as minus-35 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-37 Celsius) could cause frostbite within 10 minutes, making it too dangerous to walk to school or wait for the bus.

The cold punch coming after means it will take a while to thaw out, an especially dangerous prospect in places where ice and snow weigh down tree branches and power lines and cuts electricity, perhaps for days. Roads and sidewalks could remain icy well into next week.

Freezing temperatures are expected all the way to Florida and lows in the North and Midwest will get about as cold as possible, even down to minus 25 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 32 to minus 34 degrees Celsius), forecasters said.

A severe cold snap five years ago took down much of the power grid in Texas, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths. Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that won't happen again.

The power system "has never been stronger, never been more prepared and is fully capable of handling this winter storm,” he said.

In the Houston area, CenterPoint Energy, which maintains the wires, poles and electrical infrastructure serving more than 2.8 million customers, had 3,300 employees ready to work the winter storm, said Paul Lock, CenterPoint's local government affairs director.

Winter storms can be notoriously tricky to forecast — one or two degrees can mean the difference between a catastrophe or a cold rain — and forecasters said the places with the worst weather can't be pinned down until the event starts.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in his state like many other governors while acknowledging Thursday morning that some forecasts have disastrous levels of wintery weather in Atlanta while others have the Deep South's largest city mostly spared.

Ahead of the storm, Atlanta resident Jennifer Girard bought some blankets and batteries Thursday on a Walmart shopping trip in nearby Chamblee with her 21-month-old baby.

Canned food, batteries and water were among the most popular items, leaving shelves less stocked than usual.

“I used to live in Florida, we used to do that all the time for hurricane season, so it’s not so different,” she said.

As a precaution, North Carolina’s largest public school system was preparing for potentially several days out of physical classrooms next week. The Wake County school system, with 161,000 students in and around Raleigh, told its nearly 11,000 teachers to create three days of assignments accessible online or through paper copies.

Brine trucks were already treating roads from Oklahoma to Tennessee with more states expected to begin treating roads as the storm gets closer.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger told residents to prepare for days without power or the ability to get out of their neighborhoods. And in a nod to the politics of the time, the newly inaugurated Democrat said people should not be scared to call 911 in an emergency just because of the immigration crackdowns going on in places like Minnesota.

Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Parker said that this “is not going to be your typical Arkansas storm system.” He pleaded for people to be patient and stay home if possible once the storm hits, even if it takes days to clear sheets of ice off some roads.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry implored people, “I beg you, please take this serious,” as he highlighted road preparations, warming centers, some 5,000 power line workers on standby and a stock of 600,000 bottles of water.

College sports teams moved up or postponed games, and the Texas Rangers canceled their annual Fan Fest event.

The city of Carmel, Indiana, canceled its Winter Games out of fear residents could get frostbite and hypothermia competing in ice trike relay and “human curling” in which people slide down a skating rink on inner tubes.

But the Nashville Symphony said Thursday its weekend performances of “Frozen” were still going on as expected.

In north Georgia, the House of Applejay Distillery in East Ellijay posted light-hearted storm-themed videos on social media featuring its bear mascot.

“Stock up before the winter storm because ice belongs in the glass, not on the road,” a narrator says as an animated bear selects a bottle of apple liqueur in one social media video. In another, a bear wearing a furry hat holds a martini glass with a yellow cocktail and warns, “A few days of winter. This is not a drill. Are you prepared, Georgia?”

“We want people to come in early so they can drink at home and stay safe,” owner Caroline Porsiel said.

And in Charleston, West Virginia, organizers said the annual West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show will go on after more than 150 exhibitors signed up for the sold-out event that is expected to draw about 12,000 people Friday through Sunday.

The forecast calls for rain, freezing rain and snow, but with outfitters coming from all over the U.S. as well as Canada and South Africa, the show must go on, said Glen Jarrell, a spokesperson for the West Virginia Trophy Hunters Association, the event’s promoter.

“We’re not thinking about stopping. We don’t care if it’s rain, snow or high water," Jarrell said.

Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writers around the country contributed to this report.

A pedestrian bundles up as she crosses a street during a cold weather day in Evanston, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Fresh snow blows through an intersection in Lowville, N.Y., on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Austin Felts of the Nashville Department of Transportation drives a truck deploying salt brine on roadways Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Ice forms on a pier along Lake Michigan ona. cold Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

A loaf of bread sits on empty shelves in the bread isle in grocery store ahead of winter weather, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A digital billboard along Highway 75 warns of road preparations for upcoming inclement weather expected in the region Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Richardson, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

A shopper buys groceries Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn., ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine's Democratic governor challenged federal immigration officials Thursday to provide arrest warrants, real-time arrest numbers and basic information about who is being detained in a sweeping enforcement operation in her state, saying residents have been left largely in the dark as fear spreads through immigrant communities.

“If they have warrants, show the warrants. In America, we don’t believe in secret arrests or secret police," Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference.

Mills said that President Donald Trump’s office hasn't returned her calls regarding the operation launched this week. Federal officials have said about 50 arrests were made the first day and that roughly 1,400 people are operational targets in the mostly rural state of 1.4 million residents, 4% of whom are foreign-born.

The remarks came as Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce raised concerns about the arrest of one of his corrections officer recruits by immigration agents. Joyce was among more than 100 sheriffs nationwide who met last year with border czar Tom Homan.

Joyce said that the plan outlined at the time — prioritizing the removal of people with serious criminal records — was one he could support. This week’s arrest did not align with that message, he said.

“The book and the movie don’t add up,” he said.

The enforcement activity has sparked anxiety in Maine’s largest cities, including Portland and Lewiston, which are home to sizable immigrant and refugee populations, particularly from African nations. Community leaders say some families are staying indoors, avoiding work and keeping children home from school for fear of arrest.

Mills said the lack of information has made it difficult to assess the scope or justification for the operation.

“Why Maine? Why now? What were the orders that came from above? Who’s giving the orders? We’ve reached out, we’ve asked questions. We have no answers," she said.

Mills said she would be “shocked” if federal agents could substantiate claims of such a large number of people in Maine with criminal charges against them.

“Mostly we’re hearing reports of people who have not been engaged in criminal activity,” she said.

Mills said school districts have gone “on alert,” particularly in Portland and Lewiston, and that some students have not been attending classes. She also said businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor have reported disruptions.

“People are being torn from their families and from young children, people who are part of the workforce here in Maine,” Mills said.

Cristian Vaca, an immigrant from Ecuador who lives in Biddeford, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents repeatedly threatened him during a visit to his home Wednesday. Vaca, 28, is a roofer who lives with his wife and young son.

“I’m here legally. I came here in September 2023,” Vaca said, citing his family’s safety and economic opportunity as reasons for the move.

Speaking to The Associated Press in Spanish through a translator, Vaca said he was sitting on his couch when he noticed agents outside his home taking photos.

Vaca said he has always tried to “do things right and legal” when it comes to his immigration status. He said he has a U.S. Social Security number, a work permit and pays income taxes.

A video Vaca took from inside the house shows an ICE agent speaking to him through his closed front door. Before turning away, the agent says, “We’re going to come back for your whole family, okay?” A child’s voice can be heard in the background.

The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for updated arrest numbers and information about where detainees are being held.

DHS previously said the operation targets what it described as “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” citing arrests involving convictions for aggravated assault, false imprisonment and child endangerment.

Joyce said ICE agents arrested one of his corrections officer recruits Wednesday evening in Portland despite the county having verified the man’s U.S. work authorization.

The recruit was hired in February 2024 after undergoing criminal history checks, fingerprinting, reference checks and a polygraph examination, Joyce said. His employment eligibility was verified through a federally required I-9 form indicating he was authorized to work in the United States until 2029.

“He was squeaky clean,” Joyce said. “Every indication we found was that this was an individual trying to do all the right things.”

Joyce said the recruit had previously traveled to Texas for a hearing related to his immigration status, which the sheriff described as an effort to comply with the law. Joyce said ICE later told him the man was in the country illegally, a claim he said he does not understand given his work authorization and lack of criminal history.

Joyce also criticized the manner of the arrest, saying multiple ICE agents were involved and the man’s vehicle was left running on a city street after he was detained.

“That’s bush-league policing,” Joyce said.

A small group of demonstrators gathered Thursday afternoon outside an ICE field office in Scarborough. In downtown Portland, resident Dave Cowie held a sign reading “Due Process” in red and blue. He said he was concerned about the scope of immigration enforcement and whether new ICE recruits were getting enough training.

“People are being snatched off the street, taken to undisclosed locations,” Cowie said. “We’re being told we have to prove our citizenship — not everyone walks around with a passport in their pocket.”

Separately, Maine’s top federal prosecutor has urged any demonstrations to remain peaceful and warned that people who interfere with federal agents could face prosecution. Mills said the state respects the law but questioned the need for what she described as a heavy-handed approach.

Willingham reported from Boston.

Angelica Fisher, left, and Cristian Vaca pose for a photo Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at his home in Biddeford, Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)

Storm clouds that had brought brief snow flurries begin to clear, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, over Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

FILE - Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - Buildings on the working waterfront catch the early morning light, Feb. 26, 2025, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Mayor Mark Dion speaks at a news conference about ICE activity Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)

Rosie Grutze protests the presence of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)