FOX Weather correspondent Ian Oliver discusses details of the major winter storm bringing subzero temperatures, heavy snow and significant ice to several states in a “special report.”
Grocery store shelves across the country are emptying as Americans brace for a massive winter storm expected to affect large portions from the United States this weekend.
From Texas to Mississippi to Washington, D.C., shoppers have encountered empty shelves as extreme winter weather threatens more than 200 million people in 40 states. Photos and videos shared from several areas show basic goods disappearing as customers rush to stock up ahead of the storm.
Video from an Oxford, Mississippi, grocery store shows several aisles cleaned out, with milk and bottled water nearly gone. Other essentials, including eggs, sausages and hot dogs, also appeared in short supply as shoppers rushed to get ready, FOX Weather reported.
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Empty bread shelves at a grocery store on January 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Similar scenes are playing out in North Texas, where shoppers have emptied the aisles of local supermarkets. Photos of a Kroger in North Richland Hills show depleted shelves in some sections, according to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
The most chosen items included ground beef, vegetables, eggs, milk and canned goods.
One Texas shopper said he’s already visited six stores while trying to prepare for the approaching winter storm, according to FOX 4.
“I’m just looking for a loaf of bread to get me through the weekend,” Lauryn Martin told FOX 4. “This is my 6th store I’ve been to today. I started last night, but the shelves are all empty.”
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Sparsely stocked shelves in the milk section of a grocery store on January 23, 2026 in Shawnee, Kansas. (Chase Castor/Getty Images)
Kroger Corporate Affairs Director John Votava said stores are seeing a significant increase in customers.
“We are busy, seeing an influx of customerswell above average, working hard to meet that demand,” Votava told FOX 4. “We have tons of groceries coming from the Keller distribution center to all 107 stores in North Texas.”
The apparent rush on grocery stores is one of the most powerful winter storms over the years takes shape across the country.
The storm, which began Friday and lasts through Monday, is expected to stretch more than 2,000 miles and could bury some states in more than a foot of snow.
Freezing rain and sleet can also disrupt travel and knock out power for thousands, according to FOX Weather.
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Nearly empty pasta shelves are seen as residents stock up in anticipation of an expected cold front in the Washington, DC area on January 23, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
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The phenomenon known as “panic buying” is nothing new. During the COVID-19 pandemic, items such as toilet paper and paper towels have been flying off shelves, prompting officials to urge Americans not to hoard supplies.
“Typically, the urgent purchase of necessities stems from a perceived threat of resource shortage, an inability to obtain one’s essentials,” Amanda Spray, a clinical psychologist and director of the Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone Health, told Fox News at the time. “In a crisis situation, it is human nature to want to prepare to have enough basic necessities to be able to feed and care for our families.”
