Blizzard warning issued with 150m people under major wind chill alert

16 January 2024 , 15:57

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Weather warnings have been issued across parts of the US (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

A blizzard warning has been issued across several US states with 150million people facing freezing weather conditions.

The death toll caused by the latest Arctic blast has so far risen to 15, including three homeless people who likely died from hypothermia in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin, officials said. More than 85,000 US homes and businesses were without power early Tuesday, the bulk of them in Oregon.

The National Weather Service issued several warnings across parts of the US - and these cover almost all of Alaska, where strong gales are expected. The storms and frigid temperatures affected everything from air travel to NFL playoff games to Iowa's presidential caucuses, and were also the cause of several deaths around the country.

READ MORE:Arctic blast mapped amid 'life-threatening' warning of -50F wind chills across the US

Sub-zero temperatures are hitting the US (wxcharts)

Freezing rain and sleet were expected to continue across portions of the Southeast into Tuesday morning. Winter storm warnings were in effect for Lawrence, Limestone and Madison counties in Alabama and in Franklin County in Tennessee, southeast Arkansas, northeast Louisiana and much of northern, central and southwestern Mississippi.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Moderate to heavy snowfall was expected into the Mid-Atlantic on Tuesday morning with winter weather advisories in effect from the Mid-Atlantic into New England, according to the National Weather Service. Another 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimetres) of snow was expected in New York state and 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimetres) of snow was expected in upper New England through Wednesday.

A map showing the weather forecast for tomorrow (wxcharts)

In the Pacific Northwest, significant freezing rain was expected Tuesday morning, with ice storm warnings in effect through Wednesday morning. In parts of the Cascades into the Northern Rockies, 15 to 28 inches (38 to 71 centimeters) of snow was possible.

Another day of record cold temperatures was expected across much of the Rockies, Great Plains and Midwest on Tuesday, with wind chills below minus 30 extending into the mid-Mississippi Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

Workers clear a sidewalk of snow in Des Moines, Iowa (AFP via Getty Images)

Monday night saw temperatures drop as low as 10F (minus 12.2C) in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and Jackson, Tennessee. Frigid temperatures in the Northeast didn't stop fans from heading out to cheer on the Buffalo Bills at a snow-covered Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

The Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday in an AFC wild-card playoff game that was delayed 27 1/2 hours because of a storm that dumped more than 2 feet (61 centimetres) of snow on the region. Temperatures are expected to moderate midweek but a new surge of colder air is forecast to drop south over the Northern Plains and Midwest, reaching the Deep South by the end of the week.

Chiara Fiorillo