US weather forecasters have warned of bitterly cold temperatures, with winter storms likely in many states.
Published on January 20, 2026
More than 100 vehicles collided or derailed on an interstate highway in Michigan as the blizzard made conditions “treacherous” for road travel in the US state.
The massive debris Monday prompted Michigan State Police to close both directions of Interstate 196 southwest of Grand Rapids while officials worked to remove all vehicles, including more than 30 trailer trucks.
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Michigan State Police said the crashes resulted in numerous injuries, but none were “believed to be fatal.”
Still images and videos posted on social media and published by local publications show trucks and other vehicles piled up on a snow-covered highway.
The crash is the latest impact of a severe winter storm moving across the country.
The US National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for either extremely cold temperatures or the possibility of a winter storm for several states starting in northern Minnesota and extending south and east into Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
Pedro Mata Jr., a motorist, told The Associated Press that he was driving at 32-40 km/h (20-25 mph) before the wreck and could see the cars in front of him as the snow blew onto the road.
He managed to stop his pick-up truck safely, but decided to pull into the middle of the road to avoid being rear-ended.
“It was a little scary hearing all that, banging noises behind you. I saw what was in front of me. I couldn’t really see what was behind me,” Mata said.
Officials urged motorists to slow down in “treacherous” conditions, with a winter storm continuing to dump snow on the region and temperatures expected to drop to -22 degrees Celsius (-8 degrees Fahrenheit), with wind chills.
Forecasters also warned that freezing temperatures are possible overnight into Tuesday in north-central Florida and southeast Georgia.