The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) installed its Emergency Response Steering Group in permanent session to monitor the third winter storm 'Fern', which will affect northern and central Mexico from January 23 to 25, 2026, with extreme cold, snowfalls, and rains. The action aims to ensure electricity supply amid potential disruptions in natural gas imports from the United States. As of noon on January 23, no impacts have been reported.
The third winter storm of the season, known as 'Fern', will interact with Cold Front 31 and an arctic air mass, creating adverse weather conditions in Mexico from Friday, January 23, to Sunday, January 25, 2026. According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), minimum temperatures of -20 to -15 degrees Celsius are expected in the mountainous areas of Chihuahua, snowfalls in the sierras of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Durango, and intense rains in Durango and Veracruz. Wind gusts up to 100 km/h will affect Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Zacatecas, with possible whirlwind formation in Coahuila. On Sunday, an intense 'Norte' will raise waves to 4 meters in Tamaulipas and Veracruz, and snow could descend to peaks like Nevado de Colima, Cofre de Perote, and Pico de Orizaba.
Faced with this phenomenon, which will first hit Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi in the United States—where natural gas futures have already risen up to 75%—the CFE, led by Emilia Calleja, activated the Emergency Response Steering Group. This group, in permanent session, monitors meteorological developments and coordinates operations to prevent disruptions in electricity supply, as over 60% of energy is generated with natural gas, 70% of which is imported from the U.S., mainly from Texas.
The CFE has 28,000 MW of available capacity without natural gas, using conventional thermal plants (fuel oil, diesel), coal-fired plants, and clean energies like wind, photovoltaic, and hydroelectric. It also has two LNG regasification terminals with capacity for 350,000 cubic meters, over 800 electricians, 210 cranes, 333 light vehicles, and 37 emergency plants. Strategic Operation Centers were set up in the Baja California, Norte, Golfo Norte, Golfo Centro divisions, and national offices.
President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned in her January 23 conference that the CFE will issue recommendations and a contingency plan. "Since this winter front was announced in Texas and northern Mexico, a series of contingencies have been taken," she said. Civil Protection recommended dressing in layers, insulating pipes, ventilating heaters, and reducing speed on icy roads. The number 071 is available for reports. They recall the 2021 impact, when a polar vortex caused CFE losses of 106.3 billion pesos due to gas shortages, but experts like Adrián Calcaneo note better preparation with 'winter packages' in Texas.
As of 12:00 on January 23, there are no critical impacts.
