FOX Weather Correspondent Ian Oliver discusses details of the major winter storm that brought freezing temperatures, heavy snow and significant ice to multiple states on “Special Report.”
Grocery store shelves across the country are being emptied as Americans prepare for a massive winter storm expected to hit much of the US this weekend.
From Texas to Mississippi to Washington DC, shoppers have encountered bare shelves as extreme winter weather threatens more than 200 million people in 40 states. Photos and videos shared from multiple areas show staples disappearing as customers rush to stock up before the storm begins.
Video from a supermarket in Oxford, Mississippi, shows several aisles picked clean, with milk and bottled water running low. Other essentials, including eggs, sausage and hot dogs, also appeared to be in short supply as shoppers rushed to get ready. FOX Weather reported.
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Empty bread shelves in a supermarket on January 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Similar scenes are playing out in North Texas, where customers cleared the aisles at local supermarkets. Photos from a Kroger in North Richland Hills show depleted shelves in some sections, according to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
The most commonly chosen items included ground beef, vegetables, eggs, milk and canned goods.
A Texas customer said he had already visited six stores as he tried 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 sixth 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 supermarket on January 23, 2026 in Shawnee, Kansas. (Chase Castor/Getty Images)
Kroger’s director of corporate affairs, John Votava, said stores are seeing a significant increase in customers.
“We are busy, we are seeing an influx of customers, well above average, and we are working hard to meet that demand,” Votava told FOX 4. “We have a lot of groceries coming from the distribution center in Keller to all 107 stores in North Texas.”
The apparent run on grocery stores comes as one of the most powerful winter storms in years takes shape across the country.
The storm, which began Friday and will last through Monday, is expected to stretch for more than 2,000 miles and could bury some states under more than a foot of snow.
According to FOX Weather, freezing rain and sleet could also disrupt travel and knock out power for thousands of people.
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Nearly empty pasta shelves can be seen as residents stock up on supplies in anticipation of a cold front expected 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 not new. During the COVID-19 pandemic, items like toilet paper and paper towels flew off the shelves, prompting officials to urge Americans not to hoard supplies.
