When Winter Storm Fern Hit, Sales Froze—and Then Roared Back

Winter Storm Fern delivered devastating snow and ice across large swaths of the United States between January 23rd and January 27th, 2026.^ The storm’s scale and intensity were so extreme that it has already been classified as historic.^^

As roads became impassable and power lines failed, daily life—and commerce—ground to a halt. These disruptions are clearly visible in Square’s transactional data. At the storm’s peak on Sunday, January 25th, sales dropped sharply within Fern’s path, reflecting widespread closures and reduced consumer mobility.

Yet the impact was not uniform across sectors. While food and drink spending fell by 79% within the affected areas on January 25th, the home and repair sector declined by just 38%.^^^ This relative resilience likely reflects increased demand for weather-related services and emergency fixes. One striking example: over the course of the storm, total spending on snow removal services surged 513% year over year within the affected areas (and 122% nationally).

Despite the initial shock, the recovery was swift. Square data shows that sales in the storm’s path began to stabilize by January 30th, when the storm officially dissipated. By February 1st, total sales were up 472% week over week, far exceeding pre-storm levels. Put differently, transaction volume on February 1st was nearly six times higher than it had been at the height of the storm on January 25th. Although different geographic regions have different levels of snow and ice preparedness, Square data suggests that recovery in the South, Midwest, and Northeast have all followed similar trajectories.

Together, these patterns highlight both the immediate economic disruption caused by Winter Storm Fern, as well as the rapid rebound that followed once conditions improved.

^ Live Tracker: Winter Storm Fern Triggers a National Winter Emergency
^^ How Winter Storm Fern Could Be Historic
^^^ Affected areas are defined as 3-digit postal codes that experienced a 75% or greater drop in total sales on January 25th 2026, compared to an average Sunday within the year prior.