Residents in Oxford, Mississippi, are facing brutal conditions caused by the winter storm that ravaged much of the United States, including freezing rain and nearly an inch of accumulated ice. “More than 20,000 out of about 35,000 homes in Lafayette County had no power on Sunday night,” The New York Times stated. Astonishing images circulated online from the college town: Oxford, MS is a mess!!! These pictures were posted by the City of Oxford and EMA. Over 150 thousand homes without power across Northwest Mississippi. Temps overnight in Oxford will be in the teens. Keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/oxI1p3FYj2 — Gary L. Harris (@garyharris_wvua) January 25, 2026 Winter Storm Fern: It’s EXTREME!“Ice storm apocalypse in Oxford, Mississippi. Hours of thunder freezing rain, power flashes lighting up the sky, stranded motorists, trees falling on cars under the weight of over an inch of ice accretion.”Reed Timmer, PhD.Extreme Meteorologist! pic.twitter.com/yamcffX8Td — John Cremeans (@JohnCremeansX) January 25, 2026 More from The New York Times: Temperatures were expected to drop to 7 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, he added, and the main concern was the safety of people dealing with the cold without power. Officials opened warming centers to accommodate as many residents without heat as possible. Sheriff Joey East of Lafayette County said in a text message on Sunday night that conditions were “probably worse or as bad” as they were after a 1994 storm that left some in the region without power for weeks. Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi said at a news conference that approximately 47 counties in the state had been impacted by the storm. State officials had requested generators and other supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency under a federal emergency declaration for the state signed by President Trump, he added. “The weather is probably going to get worse before it gets better,” he said. More than 150,000 electricity customers across Mississippi had no power as of early Monday morning, according to the site poweroutage.com. The University of Mississippi, which is in Oxford, will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, and local public school districts will be closed all week. “The damage is extensive and it’s not over yet. Trees are still giving way under the weight of the ice. Please continue to shelter in place,” Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill stated. “Oxford Utilities has enlisted additional outside crews to assist in expediting tree removal and clearing and additional line crews to assist with restoration of replacing poles and lines. We have 10 right-of-way crews from Memphis on their way now and hope to get them started today. Know that these trees will be piled on the sides of the roads for now,” Tannehill continued. “We have to clear the lines before we can rebuild the lines. We will focus on critical facilities first – assisted living facilities and the dialysis center will be our first priority. As far as road clearing goes, crews are focused on primary routes for emergency vehicle access. We have had pretty good success this morning. We still have a few areas with power lines down that we can’t approach until Oxford Utilities or NE Power has time to address those lines. We’ve been asked by citizens how to help. If you have a chainsaw and can help to clear your own street safely, we welcome your help. Please be aware of power lines that are down and stay away. We will start clearing streets of slush and ice on the primary routes again now that the precipitation has stopped and before the extreme temperatures set in this evening,” she added. “If anyone would like me to check on loved ones in Oxford, MS please let me know! I will be out clearing driveways in the AM,” extreme meteorologist and storm chaser Reed Timmer said. If anyone would like me to check on loved ones in Oxford, MS please let me know! I will be out clearing driveways in the AM @Unitedcajunnavy @TDStormRecovery pic.twitter.com/7N67Dq4Ow8 — Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) January 26, 2026 “It is a bitter cold morning in Oxford, Mississippi with most of the area without power. We are working with @Unitedcajunnavy and @TDStormRecovery to chainsaw driveways and check on people this morning. Please send an address if you have loved ones you would like us to check on,” Timmer said in another post. It is a bitter cold morning in Oxford, Mississippi with most of the area without power. We are working with @Unitedcajunnavy and @TDStormRecovery to chainsaw driveways and check on people this morning. Please send an address if you have loved ones you would like us to check on. pic.twitter.com/iVRRI8guAJ — Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) January 26, 2026 “Drop your address below if you need your driveway clear in Oxford, Mississippi,” he said. Drop your address below if you need your driveway clear in Oxford, Mississippi. #icestorm @tdstormrecovery @unitedcajunnavy @accuweather pic.twitter.com/0q3zXsyAT2 — Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) January 26, 2026 “A @Unitedcajunnavy supply truck is on the way to Oxford, MS and is heading to the warming center,” he added. A @Unitedcajunnavy supply truck is on the way to Oxford, MS and is heading to the warming center — Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) January 26, 2026 FOX Weather shared further: 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. According to the FOX Forecast Center, several reports of up to 1 inch of ice accretion have been observed across four states, including Mississippi, as of Sunday evening. With plummeting temperatures, the ice is only expected to build up even more on roads and sidewalks. 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.