At least 4 people are dead as massive snowstorm creates dangerous travel conditions

Cars travel on snow-covered U.S. 31 in Carmel, Ind., on Monday
Traffic makes it way on snow-covered U.S. 31 in Carmel, Ind., on Monday.
Joshua A. Bickel | AP

At least four people have died and dozens have been injured as a major winter storm moves across several states from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, with officials warning those in its path to stay off the roads. Forecasters are predicting up to a foot of snow in some areas.

There have been hundreds of calls for help on the highways and thousands of stranded cars from Kansas to Virginia since Saturday, including a car pileup in Illinois.

In Kansas, where blizzard warnings had been issued across the state over the weekend, at least three people have died in car crashes, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

At least one person has died and more than 30 people have been injured in Missouri, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.  

“Snow is still making its way out of the state, but don’t expect conditions to improve quickly – if you saw snow and ice fall yesterday, continue to AVOID TRAVELING today,” the Missouri Department of Transportation said in a social media post on Monday. “Our crews are still hard at work, but cleanup will take awhile in these conditions.”

Darin Campbell uses a snow blower to remove snow from his driveway on Sunday in Shawnee, Kansas.
Darin Campbell uses a snow blower to remove snow from his driveway on Sunday in Shawnee, Kansas.
Chase Castor | Getty Images

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell also advised that people facing winter storms “listen to your local officials & stay off the roads if you are experiencing heavy snow or ice in your area.”

Winter storm warning in effect

Closures and states of emergency have been announced across the Central Plains, Midwest and East Coast regions of the U.S., as the snowstorm moves across the area.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings in parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Up to 12 inches of snow has been forecast to fall from Ohio to D.C. through Monday night. More than 300,000 customers were without power as of noon ET Monday across Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, according to Poweroutage.us.

Governors of several states affected by the snowstorm — including Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky — issued states of emergency beginning early last week and continuing into this past weekend.

Several county school systems across the affected states are closed Monday, as well as in cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Louisville.

Much of D.C. closed, electoral vote certification to proceed

In Washington, D.C., Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed Monday. Non-emergency federal employees in D.C. will work remotely Monday, as offices will be closed.

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith says the city has been preparing for the storm ahead of a number of high-security events — Congress’ certification of President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory on Monday and funeral events for former President Jimmy Carter.

Capitol workers clear snow from the East Plaza outside the U.S. Capitol on Monday.
Capitol workers clear snow from the East Plaza outside the U.S. Capitol as security tightens in advance of the Joint Session of Congress to count the electoral votes on Monday.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call | Getty Images

“We’ve been watching the news, watching the polar vortex as its been coming in this direction. So we’ve been planning appropriately,” Smith says.

House Speaker Mike Johnson says the snow will not delay the certification of the electoral votes.

“The Electoral Count Act requires this on January six at 1 p.m. So whether we’re in a blizzard or not, we are going to be in that chamber making sure this is done,” Johnson told Fox News, adding that he hopes there will be full attendance.

City resources will also be used to help clear snow for members of Congress ahead of election certification, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Travel disruptions grow

The winter storms also are affecting flight travel across the U.S. More than 3,500 flights traveling into or leaving the U.S. faced delays as of noon ET Monday, according to tracking platform FlightAware. More than 2,00 additional flights were canceled.

Snow will also cause delays at major airports, including in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, according to the FAA.

And more than 50 Amtrak trains operating from the Midwest to the Northeast have also been canceled on Monday. Two trains traveling between parts of Virginia and Washington, D.C., have already been canceled for Tuesday.

NPR’s Windsor Johnston, Luke Garrett, Joel Rose and WXVU’s Nick Swartsel contributed to this report.

Copyright 2025, NPR

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