A severe winter storm that hit seven US states has led to the death of at least five people.

The snowfall in Virginia, Kentuckym West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, and Arkansas has led to extensive power cuts, the closure of schools, road accidents and travel disruption with over 2,300 flights cancelled and thousands of delays.

Meteorologists in the US are expecting snow and ice in northern Texas, southern Oklahoma on Thursday.

The first week of the new year, Winter Storm Blair took the US east coast by force with a near-historic 12 inches of snow.

A snowplow clears snow in front of the U.S. Capitol, as a winter storm that brought snow, ice and freezing temperatures to a broad swath of the U.S. arrived in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2025. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Plummeting temperatures, ice, and wind chills forced many to forgo plans and stay home in order to avoid hazardous travel conditions. According to Reuters, Winter Storm Blair left over 1,900 flights canceled and over 330,000 homes without power. The Amtrak train experienced dozens of delays and cancellations as storm conditions prevented safe passage. Governors in several states including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland have issued a state of emergency, urging people to avoid transport, as a result of hundreds of reports of car crashes.

A pedestrian crosses a street with the U.S. Capitol building in distance, as a winter storm that brought snow, ice and freezing temperatures to a broad swath of the U.S. arrived in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2025. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Despite the risky climate, crowds quickly took to the streets to capitalize on this historic snowfall. In Washington DC, hundreds congregated at Meridian Park Hill directly North of the White House for the ultimate snowball fight. As a public event, the snowball fight invites people from all over the metropolitan area to take part in the annual melee. There is even a Washington DC Snowball Fight Organization (DCSFO) which schedules snowball fights by monitoring the weather and posting optimal snowball fight times on a public Facebook group, its first event dating back to Winter of 2010.


On the 4-year anniversary of the attempted Capitol insurrection, on the very same hill, adults and children alike engaged with the importance of community while enjoying the generous snowfall. Four years ago, Capitol Hill was taken by storm, fueled by violent means.

People participate in snowball fight at Meridian Hill Park, as a winter storm that brought snow, ice and freezing temperatures to a broad swath of the U.S. hits Washington, U.S. January 6, 2025. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

This time, the Hill serves as a place to “celebrate [the] 15th anniversary of snowbilizing the masses on DC snow days,” says the DCSFO.