A significant winter storm has put over 200 million Americans at risk and caused power outages in approximately 500,000 homes, with temperatures expected to drop as low as -37C.

The United States has issued extreme cold warnings from New England to the southern Rocky Mountains, impacting 37 states. Unusual heavy snow and ice have reached historically warm regions like Arkansas and Tennessee. Twenty states have declared a state of emergency, and nine have mobilized the National Guard due to the potentially perilous storm.

The National Weather Service has warned of substantial ice accumulation, posing risks of prolonged power blackouts, severe tree damage, and hazardous travel conditions.

This severe weather has disrupted travel nationwide, resulting in over 13,000 flight cancellations in a single day, the highest since the onset of the Covid pandemic.

Pictures captured desperate shoppers engaging in panic buying as shelves stood empty in stores. Snow-clearing efforts were underway on sidewalks in Philadelphia, with icy road warnings in Dallas, Texas. People were seen navigating snow-covered streets in Kansas City, Missouri, while major travel disruptions led to passengers sitting on the ground at La Guardia Airport in New York City.

Snowfall blanketed the Capitol in Washington D.C., and an individual photographed ice formations in Lake Michigan in Chicago. Amidst the snow and ice, people ventured out to stock up on essentials.