by Clara Johnson ’26 on February 5, 2026

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News - National & Global

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Last week, a winter storm characterized by ice, sleet, and copious amounts of snow struck the United States, causing major power outages, severe damage, and inaccessible roads. The storm, which has been unofficially named Winter Storm Fern by the Weather Channel, brought historic weather to large swaths of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

In the Northeast, over a foot of snow fell, with some places, including Providence, RI, experiencing more than 20 inches of snow. The snowfall resulted in school and business closures across the region, though most institutions were able to reopen by mid-week. Across the country, there were record low temperatures that have not been seen in decades. In some states, the wind chill reached as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

While loads of snow were dumped in the Northeast, the South was frozen over. A deep freeze brought ice, which weighed down powerlines and trees, causing them to snap. These downed powerlines and fallen trees caused hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses to lose power. Obstruction caused by tree branches and ice have made it difficult for the National Electric Service to restore power in many of these places. In many Southern localities, infrastructure was overwhelmed, as these areas are not accustomed to contending with such harsh winter storms. As of this week, 136,000 people across the U.S. still remain without power in the freezing weather.

One city that was hit particularly hard by outages was Nashville, TN, with one resident telling The Cowl, “We were without power and heat for six days and still don’t have hot water.” She went on to describe, “It felt almost like a hurricane. Things looked apocalyptic. There were downed trees, downed powerlines. It was awful.”

These catastrophic conditions have been confirmed to be responsible for the deaths of 87 people throughout the U.S. Fatalities have been linked to cold exposure, vehicle accidents, and cardiac emergencies. This includes one man who was found dead because of cold exposure on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in downtown Providence.

As of now, the snow, the cold, and the destruction linger, as people struggle to recover from the impacts of the historic freeze that struck North America last week.

by Courtney Wight '26 on January 29, 2026

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Opinion - Entertainment & Society

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Friday, Jan. 23, at 4 p.m. my friends and I went to the Shaws down on Admiral Street, just as we always do on Friday afternoons. Yet, upon our arrival, we realized we may have forgotten about the impending inclement weather heading toward the area on Sunday. The parking lot was packed, with only three available carts in sight, and a store full of people made the experience feel like I was doomsday prepping for the apocalypse.

The pizza dough was cleared out, so there went our plan of pizza for dinner, and then disaster struck as I went to grab milk. Usually, the milk section is absolutely overflowing, fully stocked with a ton of options. However, there was only one full gallon of real milk (Lactaid doesn’t count!) in the whole store. I was stunned. I know the joke is to stock up on milk and bread before a storm, but I didn’t know it was that serious.

This experience and the general reaction to the storm have made me question how prepared people are for winter storms. As someone from Albany, NY, 10 inches of snow is a decent amount, but not exactly enough for mass panic. Most people stock up slightly at their usual grocery run and prepare their snow blowers and shovels before a snowstorm. Parents find their kids’ snowpants, hats, and gloves, and get ready for a day of snow-related activities. Maybe it was because I was a kid, but I never remember such a mass panic during a snowstorm growing up.

I’ve had a snow day every year I’ve been at Providence College, and I personally feel that they have not always been warranted. I understand walking around campus is different from driving to school and then being inside all day, but when I hear about a snow day, I expect at least a foot of snow. I still remember the snow day freshman year when I was so excited to wake up to a winter wonderland, only to see about two inches of snow on the ground. I was grateful for the snow day, especially since I had not done my Civ reading, but it certainly did not have the magic of a snow day when I was a kid.

As a person born and raised in the Northeast, snow is a part of life. The car I drove during high school was a pickup truck, and I remember one day we unexpectedly got about three inches of snow during the school day. My sister and I struggled to clean off the truck as best as we could with the small scraper. My hands turned bright red without gloves, and my feet were absolutely freezing as I had Converse on. While it was certainly a tense drive home, we survived. My parents made sure I learned how to drive in the snow since they knew I’d probably have to do it on my own one day.

I understand that those who are not from places where it snows and gets cold may be shocked or unprepared for this type of weather. I feel weather stations have contributed to the intense fear-mongering over winter storms. I’ve even started getting videos on my For You Page making fun of how weather stations are talking about the storm. While I know the Northeast may not be receiving as much snow annually as in decades past, it is still the Northeast! This type of weather comes with the territory. This storm is not a once-in-a-generation blizzard, yet weather stations and people at the grocery store certainly made it feel like it is.