Mississippi, Tennessee left in the dark as ice storm, Arctic cold grip the South
Dangerous ice and Arctic cold snapped trees and power lines across the South, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity and slowing recovery efforts.
Freezing rain coated the Nashville area with a solid layer of ice that wreaked havoc on trees and utility poles alike, leaving many without electricity.
Thousands of families are facing another day without power after the biggest winter storm of the season brought Arctic air and dangerous ice to the South, including Mississippi and Tennessee.
The southern side of the winter storm produced significant ice accumulations, snapping trees and power lines and heavily straining electricity infrastructure across the region. During peak impacts nearly 1 million customers were left without power as heavy ice coated lines and poles, with Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas ranking among the hardest-hit states. Icy roads and bridges compounded the risks, making travel hazardous and slowing emergency response efforts.
Nearly 400,000 customers woke up without power Wednesday morning after some of the lowest temperatures of the winter settled in.
In Mississippi, temperatures were in the upper teens on Tuesday, reaching just 20 degrees as the sun came up. By Wednesday, temperatures were inching into the mid-20s. The slight warmup will end this weekend as another round of wind and cold settles in by Saturday.
Power outages and temperatures on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 in the South.
On Monday, Gov. Tate Reeves announced two deaths associated with winter storm impacts.
The Memphis Bass Pro Shop is seen in Memphis, Tennessee, as snow covers Interstate 40 on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Kevin Wurm / AFP via Getty Images)
Entergy Mississippi officials said that due to icy road conditions, downed trees, freezing temperatures and terrain, crews should complete damage assessments by Thursday. Damage across the western half of the state is extensive, with crews already identifying 234 broken poles and 971 spans of wire down.
“The bitter cold is increasing the risk of hypothermia for people who are still without power and heat after the storm. This relentless stretch of bitter cold is slowing down work to restore power and clear icy roads in the hardest-hit communities,” AccuWeather Director of Forecasting Operations Carl Erickson said. “Ice often melts within a day or two after most southern ice storms. That’s simply not happening with this Arctic air locked in.”
Fallen branches and trees lay across roadways and utility lines during a winter storm on January 25, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Some areas may not see power restored until Friday or the weekend.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials said freezing rain, extreme cold and winds up to 25 mph slowed recovery efforts Monday and worsened already hazardous conditions. About 131,000 customers were still without power Wednesday, including nearly 100,000 customers in Nashville and Davidson County.
“Ice melting during the day and refreezing at night is creating new icy spots and hazards every morning for crews trying to help communities recover from the ice storm,” Erickson added.
Nashville Electric Service said teams are working overnight and in extended 14- to 16-hour shifts to restore power to about 130,000 customers. The utility said 189 power poles were broken during the storm.
Middle Tennessee Electric has also been sharing updates showing the difficult conditions line workers are facing as restoration efforts continue. Power lines remain weighed down by ice, and trees continue to topple under the weight, blocking roads and limiting access to equipment.
"Travel conditions are improving, but there are still plenty of treacherous locations to reach, which slow down crews in their large trucks," MTE wrote on Wednesday. "If you're getting out today, please take care and give our folks plenty of room to work and prevent any accidents."
On Wednesday, the power provider said it had fewer than 800 customers left to restore.
Hundreds of warming shelters are open across the Southeast this week due to widespread outages and extreme cold. Even so, officials continue to urge people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary because of icy conditions and downed trees and power lines.
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