For millions from New Mexico to the nation’s capital, Winter Storm Fern is at the door and keeping many of us locked inside. Thick layers of ice are on the ground and power lines, and outages across the South are skyrocketing.

The storm has claimed the lives of two men in Louisiana. Officials there confirm they both died of hypothermia.

Heavy snow is blanketing towns from Arkansas to New England and it’s still coming down. At least 24 states have declared emergencies, many roads and highways are impassable and a staggering number of flight cancellations are piling up.

School districts across the country have called off classes on Monday, with the list growing longer by the minute.

We’re not only tracking the storm’s path for you, but we’ll also be bringing you live updates throughout the day on every angle of the storm. Here’s what’s happening now.

(01:40 p.m. EST) What Actually Is Black Ice?

From content writer Toby Adeyemi

Think of black ice like the final boss of winter roads.

Black ice is a super-thin, clear layer of ice that forms on pavement, sidewalks and bridges — and here’s the problem: you can’t see it. It’s practically transparent, so it blends right in with the road, which is why it’s called black ice.

Most people don’t even know they’ve hit it until their car starts sliding or they’re flat on their back (or face).

So here’s the move: slow way down, assume bridges are icy (they freeze first), take small steps if you’re walking, and if your car slides, ease off the gas and steer where you want to go — don’t slam the brakes.

Stay sharp or even more ideally, stay home.

(For More: What is Black Ice?)

(01:18 p.m. EST) Sledding Surprise

From lead editor Jenn Jordan:

An Oklahoma police officer decided fresh snowfall meant it was sled o’clock, and at first, the ride looked smooth. But watch what happens at the bottom of the hill:

Everyone was okay, but police say: always check your path before sledding, and for kids, helmets are a smart move.

(12:54 p.m. EST) Power Outages Over 900,000

Southern states are taking a battering from Winter Storm Fern’s ice. Tennessee is now reporting more than 300,000 outages, according to the latest update from PowerOutage.us.

They’re followed by Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas which each have more than 100,000 customers without electricity.

In the South that means most of those customers also don’t have heat right now.

Kentucky has more than 70,000 outages and Georgia just crept past the 34,000 mark.

(12:44 p.m. EST) Tornado Watch Issued For Portions Of Alabama, Florida, Georgia

From meteorologist Jennifer Gray:

Winter Storm Fern isn’t limited to just snow and ice. Severe storms are firing up along the southern side of the system, bringing the potential for damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a tornado watch for portions of the Southeast, including southern Alabama and Georgia, as well as parts of the Florida Panhandle until 7 p.m. EST.

Cities include: Montgomery, Alabama, Albany, Georgia, Pensacola and Panama City.

(12:31 p.m. EST) Mayor Announces School Closures As Snow Clobbers NYC

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that Monday will be a remote learning day for public schools in the city.

Snowfall has picked up there this morning with 1-3 inches on the ground already.

Even before Winter Storm Fern’s arrival, sub-freezing temperatures claimed 5 lives in the city.

(11:58 a.m. EST) Storm Deaths In Louisiana

Two men died of hypothermia in Caddo Parish, which is in the Shreveport area of Louisiana.

The state’s Department of Health confirmed that the deaths are storm-related, but has not released any more information about the victims.

More than 120,000 customers are without power in the state right now, that means most of them have also been left without heat while temperatures hover in the teens.

(11:45 a.m. EST) Major Airport Hub Cancels All Flights Today

From lead editor Jenn Jordan:

Travel chaos is worsening around the country as flight cancellations soar past 10,000 today, with nearly 2,000 more already grounded for tomorrow, according to FlightAware.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is bearing the brunt, leading the country in canceled flights, while New York’s LaGuardia and JFK aren’t far behind.

The nation’s capital is facing a total shutdown of the skies, with every inbound and outbound flight from Reagan National Airport canceled today.

(11:20 a.m. EST) Out A Meteorologist’s Window

From digital meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser:

As the sun came up this morning, I eagerly looked outside to see what kind of wintry accumulation we received in the metro Atlanta area overnight. And I was met with a pretty glaze encasing the tree branches right outside my window.

So far, ice reports around Atlanta range from 0.15-0.20 inches with more freezing rain in store for parts of the central and northeastern portions of the state today.

Our team would love it if you shared what it looks like where you live in the comments below!

But remember — although this icy glaze can be pretty, it’s very dangerous. So take that snap from inside the warmth of your house.

(10:54 a.m. EST) A Closer Look At Outages

From lead editor Jenn Jordan:

Power outages are now pushing just under 860,000 customers in the dark, though the numbers continue to climb faster than we can publish updates.

While we’ve tracked these outages all morning, a closer look at where they’re happening underscores just how serious this situation is becoming.

Nashville Electric Service now ranks first nationwide for total outages, with nearly 200,000 homes and businesses without power, almost half of its entire customer base.

In Benton, Mississippi, every single customer is currently without power.

These two hard-hit areas sit squarely in the bull’s-eye of our ice accumulation forecast, meaning more outages are likely expected as conditions worsen.

We’re also seeing the footprint of this storm expanding. Outages are beginning to creep east, with numbers climbing in Virginia and North Carolina, and we’ll be watching closely as the storm pushes into the Mid-Atlantic and New England, where additional power disruptions are likely to come soon.

(10:47 a.m. EST) Freeway Turns Free-For-All

From lead editor Jenn Jordan:

A major Dallas highway turned into a chaotic mess as drivers stopped in their tracks, threw it in reverse and even started traveling the wrong way.

Sleet and snow have coated the Woodall Rodgers Freeway, wiping out lane markings and turning the stretch into a slick, directionless sheet of ice. With no visible lanes, cars crept forward wherever they could, creating a dangerous free-for-all.

TxDOT is urging drivers to stay off the roads unless it’s an emergency, as crews work around the clock to treat major roads and bridges.

(10:33 a.m. EST) DC’s Snowball Fight Canceled Due To Sleet

From meteorologist Tiffany Savona:

Sad news for snow lovers in the nation’s capital. The Washington D.C. Snowball Fight Association has canceled the planned snowball fight set to take place at 11 a.m. on the National Mall.

(10:11 a.m. EST) Shelter In Place For Oxford, Mississippi

The Oxford Police department has asked residents not to leave their homes this morning.

In an alert on social media, the department said trees and power lines are “actively falling and are blocking various roads.”

The University of Mississippi is also reporting major impacts on their Oxford campus.

New daylight images show entire transformers on the ground.

(09:52 a.m. EST) Fern’s Severe Side: Chance Of Strong Storms Today

From meteorologist Jennifer Gray:

Warm air being pulled in from the Gulf is clashing with the frigid air from Winter Storm Fern and will set the state for severe storms across portions of the Southeast later today.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed a slight risk (level 2 out of 5) for an area that includes southern portions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and parts of the Florida Panhandle.

Places like Mobile, Pensacola, Tallahassee, as well as Albany, Georgia are at risk for severe storms later through tonight.

(09:38 a.m. EST) Nashville: ‘Trees Falling Everywhere’

Sheets of ice are covering Nashville neighborhoods and residents are sharing photos and reports of trees snapping and falling “everywhere”.

Almost half an inch of ice accumulation was measured in the city early this morning.

No doubt leading to the incredible amount of power outages we just updated you on in Tennessee.

(09:25 a.m. EST) More Than 770,000 Without Power

Power outages continue to soar in the South, where ice is bringing down trees and knocking out power lines.

More than 270,000 outages have been reported in Tennessee alone, in the latest update from PowerOutage.us.

More than 100,000 businesses and homes are without electricity and likely heat in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi each.

We’re beginning to see outages climb in Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama.

(09:06 a.m. EST) Record Snowfall Totals From Saturday

From meteorologist Jennifer Gray:

Several locations set daily records for snowfall on Saturday. It’s important to note that these are not totals from the entire storm, just the amounts that fell on Saturday alone.

(08:45 a.m. EST) Snow Arrives In New York City

As Fern pushes into the Northeast, snow has made its Broadway entrance.

The storm is expected to be a showstopper in the city and the state which made an emergency declaration ahead of Fern’s arrival.

The NYC area could see up to a foot of snow or more through tomorrow.

(08:30 a.m. EST) Where Is Fern Now?

From meteorologist Jennifer Gray:

Winter Storm Fern is continuing to unleash heavy snow and damaging ice from New Mexico to New England.

The heaviest snow right now is stretching from portions of Arkansas to the mid-Atlantic. Snow is also moving into the big cities across the Northeast. Dangerous icing is still occurring from Texas and Louisiana to the Carolinas.

Winter Storm Fern is still a very dangerous threat. Here’s where the snow, ice and rain are right now:

(08:13 a.m. EST) This Is Not A Winter Wonderland

A neighborhood in Lebanon, Tennessee, looks like a frozen nightmare. A thick layer of ice has covered everything.

Someone’s mom is probably pretty unhappy that bike was left outside.

Rainfall is increasing across middle Tennessee this morning, so scenes like this will only multiply.

More than 100,000 homes and businesses have lost power in the state.

(08:00 a.m. EST) Why The South Sees More Ice Than Snow

From lead editor Jenn Jordan:

Ice storms can happen almost anywhere, but in the South, they’re actually more common than snowstorms.

That’s because snow requires consistent below-freezing temperatures all the way from the clouds to the ground, and while the South can absolutely get that cold, warmer air tends to linger higher in the atmosphere.

One of the biggest reasons for that is the Gulf constantly pumping in warmth and moisture, turning any precipitation into freezing rain or sleet instead of snow. Add in the Appalachian mountains, which often trap icy cold air, and you have the perfect setup for ice, not snow days.

Meteorologist Jennifer Gray breaks it down in detail here.

(07:38 a.m. EST) Power Outages Surge Past Half A Million

Tens of thousands of families in Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky are now riding out bitterly cold temperatures without electricity.

Those states lead the number of outages right now, with at least 547,000 customers without power nationwide, according to PowerOutage.us.

(07:27 a.m. EST) Snow Plows Get To Work In Virginia

From neighborhood roads to interstate highways, snow plows rolled out in Virginia early this morning to begin clearing the way for necessary travel.

The snow is expected to change over to freezing rain later today.

(07:12 a.m. EST) State(s) Of Emergency

From lead editor Jenn Jordan:

24 states have now officially declared a State of Emergency due to the storm.

What does that actually mean? In short: states can move faster and throw more resources into helping their residents. Governors now have expanded powers to deploy National Guard troops, free up emergency funding and coordinate directly with federal agencies like FEMA.

It also means stricter safety measures. Expect travel restrictions, government office closures and transit shutdowns.

Once Fern moves out, these emergency declarations will also help states jump-start recovery and pay for repairs.

(07:00 a.m. EST) Your Flight Is Probably Canceled

More than 13,000 flights nationwide have been canceled since Saturday, 10,000 of them are grounded today, according to FlightAware.com.

Nearly all departing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are canceled, the Associated Press reports.

And as you might expect major hubs like Charlotte, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth are all seeing major disruptions.

(06:43 a.m. EST) 400,000 Without Power Before Sunrise

In less than an hour, power outages nationwide have jumped from just under 300,000 to more than 416,000.

In the latest update from PowerOutage.us, outages have surged in Mississippi, more than 100,000 homes and businesses there have lost power.

Earlier we showed you how ice has encased trees and brought down power lines in the state.

(06:17 a.m. EST) Mississippi Encased In Ice

Nearly an inch of ice has coated trees and roads across Oxford, Mississippi, wiping out power. Meteorologist and storm chaser Reed Timmer gave a tour of the dangerous conditions overnight.

And imagine walking out to see this much ice on your car?

Remember just a quarter-inch of ice can have devastating impacts and the freezing rain is still coming down.

(05:50 a.m. EST) ‘Thunderice’ In Texas As Power Outages Soar

Texas is bearing the brunt of massive power outages this morning, and you can see why here. Roaring thunder and lightning accompanied freezing rain and ice overnight.

While more than 300,000 outages have been reported nationwide by Poweroutage.us, upward of 90,000 of them are in Texas alone.

Mississippi is close behind with some 80,000 homes and businesses left in the dark and the cold.

Louisiana is reporting more than 70,000 outages, and Tennessee has over 30,000.