The severe cold sweeping across the US persists this weekend, with frigid air from Canada combining with high winds to create dangerous conditions.
In some areas, the wind chill could make temperatures feel as cold as -30°F (-34°C). The intense cold has claimed at least 55 lives across 10 states over the past week.
Memphis, Tennessee, is facing a crisis with broken water mains causing a drop in water pressure. Authorities have advised residents to boil water or use bottled supplies.
In New York, roads are expected to be hazardous with black ice, while heavier-than-expected snowfall has hit New York City, Baltimore, and Washington DC. Storms have been battering the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Plains, South, and Northeast with snow, ice storms, freezing rain, and high winds.
Oregon faces new freezing rain risks as emergency declared amid ongoing ice storm.A break in the severe weather is not anticipated until next week when temperatures are expected to rise above average across most of the country.
The current conditions follow a series of storms that have led to significant fatalities, including a 25-year-old man in Tennessee who died from a space heater accident.
In Chattanooga, a drop in blood donations due to the weather has led to a recommendation for halting elective surgeries in over 70 hospitals until inventory levels are restored.
West Virginia is under advisories for continued severe weather, with up to 4 inches of additional snow expected and wind chills potentially reaching -20°F (-29°C). The state legislature had to cut short its session due to hazardous travel conditions.
On the West Coast, Oregon’s governor declared a statewide emergency following deadly ice storms. While temperatures are finally above freezing in many areas, the Columbia River Gorge could see more freezing rain, posing additional risks from falling ice.