Several people have di£d after widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain impacted nearly 180 million people across the United States.
The storm, which swept through the south, dumped about one to two feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston and left inches of ice in other areas.
At least 10 people have di£d, and millions are still without power as areas grapple with freezing temperatures after the snow and ice fell.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Hurley warned: “The dangers aren’t over even with the precipitation ending. A lot of the areas that are still getting the heavy ice, freezing rain, sleet and snow, will stay below freezing through the work week.
“We worry about people having cold weather exposure with no power.”
So far, 8 inches of snow has been reported in Arkansas, 11 inches in Illinois and Ohio, 13 inches in Indiana, 8 inches in Kansas, 12 inches in Missouri, 7 inches in Oklahoma, 6 inches in Texas and 5 inches in Tennessee.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead over the weekend in freezing temperatures. While he did not confirm the deaths were weather-related, he told reporters, “There is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold.”
In Texas, authorities confirmed three de@ths, including a 16-year-old girl killed in a sledding accident.
In Louisiana, two men di£d from hypothermia in Caddo Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Health.
There are concerns that the number of de@d could increase as freezing temperatures are set to linger for days to come.
The mercury could drop to bitingly cold temperatures -so low that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes.
At least 20 states and the US capital, Washington, have declared states of emergency.
Residents in the capital, Washington, awoke to a blanket of several inches of snow on sidewalks and roads, followed by heavy sleet.
Federal offices have been preemptively closed for Monday, Jan. 26.
US President Donald Trump said his administration is working with local officials, adding that “FEMA is fully prepared to respond”.
The cold weather has also forced Mardi Gras parades, an annual celebration before Ash Wednesday, across Louisiana to be cancelled or rescheduled.
Dozens of state governors have urged residents to stay indoors over fears the weather could become more turbulent over the next few days.
The weather agency described temperatures as “dangerously cold” as the storm weather warning is expected to remain in place for a few days.
