Nationwide Grocery Stores Experience Panic Buying Amidst Major Winter Storm
FOX Weather correspondent Ian Oliver discusses details of the major winter storm bringing sub-zero temperatures, heavy snow, and significant ice across multiple states on ‘Special Report.’
As a massive winter storm approaches, grocery store shelves across the nation are rapidly being emptied. Americans are bracing for severe weather that is expected to impact large portions of the U.S. this weekend.
From Texas to Mississippi to Washington, D.C., shoppers are encountering bare shelves as extreme winter weather threatens over 200 million people across 40 states. Images and videos shared from various locations depict a frantic rush as customers stock up on essentials ahead of the storm.
In Oxford, Mississippi, video footage reveals several aisles stripped bare, with milk and bottled water nearly sold out. Other staples, including eggs, sausage, and hot dogs, are also in short supply as shoppers scramble to prepare, according to FOX Weather.
WHAT AMERICANS SHOULD STOCK UP ON TO PREPARE FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSIVE WINTER STORM
Empty bread shelves at a grocery store on Jan. 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Similar scenes are unfolding in North Texas, where customers have cleared out aisles at local supermarkets. Photos from a Kroger in North Richland Hills show shelves depleted in various sections, as reported by FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
The most sought-after items include ground beef, vegetables, eggs, milk, and canned goods. One Texas shopper shared his experience, stating he had already visited six stores in search of supplies. “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.”
US AIRLINES ISSUE TRAVEL WAIVERS, ANNOUNCE CANCELLATIONS AHEAD OF WIDESPREAD WINTER STORM
Sparsely filled shelves in the milk section at a grocery store on Jan. 23, 2026 in Shawnee, Kansas. (Chase Castor/Getty Images)
Kroger’s director of corporate affairs, John Votava, noted a significant surge in customers. “We are busy, seeing an influx of customers, well above average, working hard to keep up with that demand,” Votava told FOX 4. “We have loads of groceries coming from the distribution center in Keller to all 107 stores in North Texas.”
This apparent run on grocery stores coincides with one of the most powerful winter storms in years, which began Friday and is expected to last through Monday. Stretching over 2,000 miles, the storm could bury some states under more than a foot of snow, with freezing rain and sleet potentially disrupting travel and causing power outages for thousands, according to FOX Weather.
ESSENTIAL WINTER DRIVING TIPS AS A MAJOR STORM APPROACHES
Near empty pasta shelves are seen as residents stock up on supplies ahead of a cold front expected in the area in Washington, DC, on Jan. 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 such as toilet paper and paper towels flew off shelves, prompting officials to urge Americans not to hoard supplies.
Amanda Spray, a clinical psychologist and director of the Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone Health, explained, “Generally, urgent purchasing of necessities arises from a perceived threat of scarcity of resources, inability to obtain one’s essentials. In a crisis situation, it is human nature to want to prepare to have enough necessities to feed and care for our families.”
FOX Weather correspondent Ian Oliver discusses details of the major winter storm bringing sub-zero temperatures, heavy snow, and significant ice across multiple states on ‘Special Report.’
As a massive winter storm approaches, grocery store shelves across the nation are rapidly being emptied. Americans are bracing for severe weather that is expected to impact large portions of the U.S. this weekend.
From Texas to Mississippi to Washington, D.C., shoppers are encountering bare shelves as extreme winter weather threatens over 200 million people across 40 states. Images and videos shared from various locations depict a frantic rush as customers stock up on essentials ahead of the storm.
In Oxford, Mississippi, video footage reveals several aisles stripped bare, with milk and bottled water nearly sold out. Other staples, including eggs, sausage, and hot dogs, are also in short supply as shoppers scramble to prepare, according to FOX Weather.
WHAT AMERICANS SHOULD STOCK UP ON TO PREPARE FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSIVE WINTER STORM
Empty bread shelves at a grocery store on Jan. 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Similar scenes are unfolding in North Texas, where customers have cleared out aisles at local supermarkets. Photos from a Kroger in North Richland Hills show shelves depleted in various sections, as reported by FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
The most sought-after items include ground beef, vegetables, eggs, milk, and canned goods. One Texas shopper shared his experience, stating he had already visited six stores in search of supplies. “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.”
US AIRLINES ISSUE TRAVEL WAIVERS, ANNOUNCE CANCELLATIONS AHEAD OF WIDESPREAD WINTER STORM
Sparsely filled shelves in the milk section at a grocery store on Jan. 23, 2026 in Shawnee, Kansas. (Chase Castor/Getty Images)
Kroger’s director of corporate affairs, John Votava, noted a significant surge in customers. “We are busy, seeing an influx of customers, well above average, working hard to keep up with that demand,” Votava told FOX 4. “We have loads of groceries coming from the distribution center in Keller to all 107 stores in North Texas.”
This apparent run on grocery stores coincides with one of the most powerful winter storms in years, which began Friday and is expected to last through Monday. Stretching over 2,000 miles, the storm could bury some states under more than a foot of snow, with freezing rain and sleet potentially disrupting travel and causing power outages for thousands, according to FOX Weather.
ESSENTIAL WINTER DRIVING TIPS AS A MAJOR STORM APPROACHES
Near empty pasta shelves are seen as residents stock up on supplies ahead of a cold front expected in the area in Washington, DC, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
The phenomenon known as “panic buying” is not new. During the COVID-19 pandemic, items such as toilet paper and paper towels flew off shelves, prompting officials to urge Americans not to hoard supplies.
Amanda Spray, a clinical psychologist and director of the Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone Health, explained, “Generally, urgent purchasing of necessities arises from a perceived threat of scarcity of resources, inability to obtain one’s essentials. In a crisis situation, it is human nature to want to prepare to have enough necessities to feed and care for our families.”
