At least 33 people have died as of Wednesday evening due to severe winter storms, with much of the US suffering from deep freezing temperatures.
According to US media, many of the nearly 30 deaths were weather-related, such as car accidents due to icy roads and hypothermia.
According to the PowerOutage.us website, heavy snowfall and freezing rain covered much of the Pacific Northwest, cutting power to about 100,000 residents. The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of more severe weather approaching soon.
The heaviest period of snow with this storm has yet to arrive. Heavy snows (1-2+ feet) are expected through Friday across the Cascades and Northern Rockies which will make for dangerous travel.
Weather alerts are in effect for southern states such as Mississippi, Florida and Tennessee, and northeastern states such as New York, Connecticut and Maine.
The National Weather Service reported that lake-effect snowfall would continue in Mississippi, while tornadoes struck Florida. Authorities in Tennessee asked 10 million residents to save energy to prevent power outages due to approaching sub-zero temperatures and wind chills.
The Arctic blast sparked chaos on the roads where semi-trucks overturned due to icy surfaces. So far, more than 10,000 flights have been delayed and nearly 3,000 cancelled, with more delays and cancellations expected as the storms continue to strike the country for the rest of the week.
