A dangerous Arctic blast continues to sweep across the United States, bringing record-low temperatures and causing at least four deaths. The severe weather has disrupted daily life from Oregon to New York and as far south as Florida, affecting tens of millions of people.
The National Weather Service warned of wind chills dropping to -30°F (-34°C) from the northern Rockies to northern Kansas and Iowa. In Montana and the Dakotas, wind chills could plunge to -50°F (-45°C). Officials urged residents to stay indoors, warning that frostbite can set in within minutes.
The storms have knocked out electricity to tens of thousands in the north-west, with over 120,000 homes and businesses without power in Oregon alone. In Portland, high winds and ice brought down trees and power lines, causing one death when a tree fell on a house. Two other people died of suspected hypothermia, and a fourth died in a fire after a tree fell on an RV.
The extreme cold forced the postponement of an NFL playoff game in Buffalo, New York, and impacted air travel across the country, with hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed at major airports. In Texas, the power grid operator appealed for voluntary electricity conservation due to record-breaking demand, though officials expressed confidence in the grid's reliability.
