‘WEIGHT OF THE WORLD’: Experts Warn of Catastrophic 1-Inch Ice Loads as Fern Cripples the Grid – OXY NEWS CHANNEL

In this investigative weather special from OXY NEWS CHANNEL, we detail the January 25, 2026, "Ice Siege". We analyze the NWS "Catastrophic" warnings and the physical impact of 1-inch ice accretion—capable of producing damage levels seen in major hurricanes. We examine the outage surge to 800,000 customers and the warning from utility giants like Dominion and Georgia Power that restoration could take 4-7 days due to the lingering Arctic freeze preventing natural melting. We also report on the "final punch" of the polar vortex, which is dropping temperatures to record-lows across the entire path of the storm.