Packed with heavy snow and freezing winds, the storm will spread over 3,000 kilometers over the weekend, from New Mexico in the southwest to Maine in the northeast, the weather service warned.
Airlines have already canceled hundreds of flights as a precaution, according to media reports.
Many schools canceled classes on Friday.
There is also a fear of power outages, for example due to fallen trees or overhead transmission lines breaking under the weight of ice.
Weather warnings or special warnings are in effect for about 160 million people.
Authorities urged people to stay at home if possible and to leave their cars at home.
In parts of Minnesota and North Dakota, temperatures could drop as low as minus 45 degrees Celsius, according to weather forecasts.
– Across the state of New York, the cold could be absolutely deadly, Governor Kathy Hochul warned.
The capital, Washington, has also declared a state of emergency due to an expected heavy snowstorm over the weekend. The measures are effective immediately, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
US President Donald Trump used the extreme cold to again criticize climate experts.
– Can environmental rebels please explain – What happened to global warming, he asked on his Truth Social network.
(Vijesti.ba)
