2026 Responses
Response Activities
Winter Storm Fern
Screenshot from Baron Weather’s proprietary forecast model showing predicted snow and freezing rain accumulation by Monday, 1/26/26. Red markers=ZDR3 Network facilities. Blue shading=snow accumulation. Pink shading=freezing rain accumulation. In some areas, heavy snow may also appear pink due to the way the model visualizes mixed or high-impact precipitation; pink does not automatically mean ice in those zone. This is intended as a supplemental situational awareness tool, not a standalone planning source.
Winter Storm Fern brought frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to regions more familiar with heatwaves than arctic blasts. As conditions developed, the ZDR3 team began monitoring storm impacts, and reaching out directly to Network facilities to maintain situational awareness and reinforce communication pathways.
ZDR3 personnel conducted individual outreach to more than 100 Network facilities in the path of Fern, allowing the team to identify emerging concerns and better understand where support might be needed as the storm unfolded. In parallel, leadership participated in coordination calls with emergency management partners, and ensured internal readiness should assistance be requested.
Many ZDR3 facilities around the country pledged teams and resources, including personnel, heavy equipment, and generators. Anticipating potentially catastrophic outcomes, some teams were poised to deploy for up to and over a week. Other teams were willing to travel across many states to get to impacted colleagues as road conditions would permit. These outpourings of support are critical to ZDR3’s ability to commit support to potentially impacted facilities.
Although no on-site deployments were required, ZDR3 stood resources by for one facility experiencing power loss, and remained in close contact as conditions evolved. ZDR3 also helped another facility identify how to contact their local emergency operations center (EOC), and connected the facility to potential recovery resources. For both facilities, ZDR3 served as a consistent point of contact, available to talk through plans, uncertainties, and next steps as the storm progressed.
While Winter Storm Fern did not escalate into a large-scale deployment, the event underscored the importance of early engagement, direct communication, and coordination with partners in maintaining readiness and supporting facilities through rapidly evolving conditions.