Winter storm linked to dozens of deaths across US as it reaches the South

State and local officials reported a total of 88 deaths across several states after consecutive winter storms, and forecasters warned another surge of Arctic air could bring more dangerous cold, heavy snow and strong winds.

Officials reported rising death counts and ongoing impacts after back-to-back winter systems affected large parts of the United States. The first storm moved through the Northeast on Jan. 24–26 and a separate system brought snow and ice to southern states over the weekend. Public health authorities attributed deaths to hypothermia, suspected carbon monoxide poisoning and weather-related accidents, and officials cited prolonged outages as a complicating factor. Forecasters warned an additional surge of Arctic air could reinforce dangerous wind chills and bring more snow and strong winds to parts of the East. Reported details: - State and local officials reported a combined total of 88 deaths across Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas and New York City, with some counts updated over the weekend. - Public health reports linked fatalities to cold exposure, suspected carbon monoxide incidents and collisions or other weather-related accidents, and officials noted power outages and prolonged cold as contributing circumstances. - Forecasters and the National Weather Service warned of another Arctic blast with heavy snow and strong winds for parts of the eastern U.S., and officials said power restoration and death investigations are continuing in hard-hit areas. Summary: Authorities say the two storms and the ensuing cold have led to dozens of reported deaths and widespread service disruptions across multiple states. Continued cold, ongoing restoration work and official investigations are expected to shape the situation in the coming days.