North Mississippi faces winter storm with icy roads, power outages

North Mississippi is experiencing severe winter weather with freezing temperatures and freezing precipitation, state officials said. The Mississippi Department of Transportation reported icy roads and bridges in 25 northern counties and urged drivers to avoid travel if at all possible.

MDOT said it will continue to treat highways, but warned that conditions are expected to worsen. The state said on its Facebook page that it remains in contact with local emergency managers and will continue coordinating and deploying resources to counties that request assistance.

So far, 32 counties have submitted a total of 87 requests for state assistance, the post said. Approximately 1,100 customers are without power due to the storm; that number is expected to rise as the storm progresses, and utility providers are working to restore service as quickly as possible.

More than 40 warming shelters are open or scheduled to open across the state. For the latest information on warming shelters and storm updates, officials directed residents to https://www.msema.org/get-assistance/disaster-resources/disasters/january-2026-winter-weather. The state of emergency will remain in effect at least through Jan. 27. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.