At least 25 people have died across the United States as the country grapples with a winter storm that has seen temperatures plummet to -45C (-49F).
More than 200 million people — about 60 percent of the U.S. population — are on some form of weather alert or warning, with the brutal cold expected to last well into Christmas weekend.
Climate-related deaths to date:
• Three killed in automobile accidents in Kentucky
• Three dead in New York
• A homeless man died in the city of Louisville
• Three accidents in Oklahoma killed three people: two of the accidents occurred when the snow was blown, while the details of the third accident were not yet known
• Driver of a car in Missouri died after losing control on an icy road, going down an embankment, over a concrete wall and landing upside down in a creek
• One person died in Wisconsin after a pickup truck struck the rear of another vehicle before going off the road and hitting a semi parked at the shoulder
• A man was found dead in Memphis on Friday morning and while no details are available, authorities said the death appears to be related to weather conditions
• Four killed in car crashes in Ohio – these were confirmed by the state governor but no further information was provided
• The Nebraska State Patrol confirmed one weather-related death
• A man died in Republic County after his car was hit by another vehicle that went out of control and was struck by a switchblade
• A 33-year-old man died after losing control of his truck and being hurled into the Interstate 70 reservation block in Geary County
• A 21-year-old man dies after the SUV he was riding in plunged into a ditch on Interstate 135 in Saline County and overturned
The Kansas Highway Patrol also said three people died in separate vehicle collisions as the storm began Wednesday, with drivers losing control of their vehicles on icy roads.
Temperatures in the interior states have dropped: -45.6°C (-50°F) in Montana and Des Moines in Iowa appear to be -38°C (-37°F), which is, according to the National Weather Service, possible suffer from frostbite in less than five minutes.
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue in parts of the Great Lakes area, which includes Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, with up to 4 feet of snow expected on the east side of Lake Ontario and the Lake Erie.
Gusts of wind toppled trees and destroyed power lines, leaving at least 1.4 million homes and businesses without power as of Friday morning, though that number had dropped to around 550,000 on Friday night.
Canada is also experiencing a severe storm that has left hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled and hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity.
Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Kerry Schmidt said police have received reports of up to 100 vehicles involved in multiple collisions that blocked a major highway near London, Ontario.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.