Over 145,000 homes without power in Mississippi amid historic winter storm
Snow and ice are wreaking havoc in Oxford, Mississippi, leading to widespread power outages.
Historic winter storm wreaking havoc in Oxford, Mississippi
FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell is reporting live from Oxford, MS as the historic winter storm continues to slam the region.
OXFORD, Miss. – People in Mississippi are being slammed with winter weather as intense snow and ice continue to cover most of the U.S. this weekend.
This comes as a historic winter storm sweeps through 40+ states in the U.S., bringing large bands of heavy snow, winds and freezing temperatures to areas that aren’t accustomed to such conditions.
This includes Oxford, Mississippi, where snow and ice are wreaking havoc on the community, leading to widespread power outages.
Mississippi Department of Transportation crews clear heavy snow
CLEAR THE WAY: Department of Transportation crews continue to ensure safe travel for anyone on the roads on Sunday, clearing snow in their path through DeSoto County, Mississippi.
According to Poweroutage.us, over 145,000 people are currently without power in the state of Mississippi. A significant number of customers are without power in Oxford, where snow turned to freezing rain overnight, leaving many without power.
At one point, over 178,000 households were without power, according to Poweroutage.us.
This graphic shows the amount of power outages based on location due to the winter storm.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, a plethora of trees and power lines have collapsed due to the ongoing intense freeze.
Heavy accumulations of ice can bring down trees, topple utility poles and even communication towers, according to the National Weather Service.
Frozen trees collapse due to ice accumulation
Frozen trees litter the area after falling due to intense winter weather on Sunday (Jan. 24, 2026).
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell reports from the area where large frozen tree branches lie on top of the roofs of homes and cars. The weight of freezing rain combined with fresh snow is a recipe for these factors to occur.
"The trees are still frozen, the power lines are still frozen, and that means the weight of all that ice can cause these trees and power lines to continue to fall," Campbell said as she surveyed the damage.
This graphic shows the amount of outages reported in Mississippi by hour.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Forecast Center, up to a dozen reports of up to 1 inch of ice accretion have been observed across 4 states as of Sunday evening, including Oxford. With plummeting temperatures, the ice is only expected to build up even more on roads and sidewalks.
SOUTH ENCASED IN ICE AS WINTER STORM TURNS DEADLY, MORE THAN 1M POWER OUTAGES REPORTED ACROSS REGION
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued a statement saying the number of power outages is expected to continue to rise as freezing temperatures remain and ice accumulates.
MASSIVE WINTER STORM SPAWNS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS GULF COAST, TORNADO WATCH ISSUED
Luckily, the wet, wintry weather is expected to ease tonight, just in time for power companies and state officials to catch up on the situation.
Stay with FOX Weather for 24/7 coverage and get live updates on the storm as it blasts the nation with crippling ice and dangerous snow across a 2,300-mile path.