Washington D.C. - A massive winter storm is causing life-threatening cold in large parts of the US in the coming days.

In the wake of an Arctic cold front expected to move across the northeastern US this coming weekend, the National Weather Service is warning of severe subzero temperatures.

In the Great Plains – a plateau that stretches east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico – temperatures can drop to -50 degrees F in some areas.

On the East Coast, residents also have to prepare for heavy snowfall and freezing rain in some places. The freezing cold is expected to continue into February.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called on the population to prepare for power outages, burst pipes, road closures, and flight cancellations due to the winter storm.

She advised people to stock up on an emergency supply of food, water, and medication for at least three days.

So far, severe weather warnings have been issued for 20 states.

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The storm continued to bring hazardous conditions to a wide swath of the US on Sunday, from Texas to New England, prompting warnings to stay off roads, along with mass flight cancellations and power outages.

As the storm dumped snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the wide expanse, officials warned that an arctic air mass behind the system would see temperatures fall dangerously low for days, prolonging disruptions to daily life.

"The snow/sleet impacts will linger well into next week with rounds of re-freezing that keeps surfaces icy and dangerous to both drive and walk on for the foreseeable future," the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The PowerOutage.com tracking site showed over 700,000 customers without electricity as of Sunday morning, mostly in the southern US where the storm began on Saturday.

Nearly 250,000 residential and commercial customers were without power in Tennessee, while Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana – where such storms are uncommon – each had over 100,000 outages.

Authorities from Texas to North Carolina, and New York urged residents to stay home due to the perilous conditions.

The storm was moving Sunday from the south to the northeast, dumping snow on heavily populated cities across the east coast.

At least 20 states and Washington DC have declared states of emergency.

Residents in Washington awoke to a blanket of several inches of snow on sidewalks and roads, with forecasters predicting a transition into sleet later in the day.

Several major airports in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York had nearly all of their flights canceled for the day. Tracking site Flightaware.com showed over 10,000 flights canceled in the US on Sunday, adding to over 4,000 the day before.

A massive winter storm dumped snow and freezing rain on New Mexico and Texas Saturday as it spread across the US towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos, and bone-chilling cold.

Shoppers stripped supermarket shelves as the National Weather Service forecast huge snowfall in some areas and possibly "catastrophic" ice accumulations from freezing rain.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that up to 240 million Americans could be affected by the storm. At least 16 states and Washington DC declared states of emergency.

"Take this storm seriously, folks," the National Weather Service said on X, predicting an "astonishingly long swath" of snowfall from New Mexico to Maine.

More than 3,400 flights in and out of the US were canceled on Saturday alone, and more than 1,100 others were delayed, according to tracker FlightAware.

In Dallas, freezing rain pelted the city, and temperatures plummeted to 21 degrees F. Warming centers were set to open Saturday for those in need. State officials vowed that the Texas power grid was in better shape than five years ago, when it failed during a deadly winter storm and left millions without power.

Snow also hit Oklahoma and Arkansas, where some spots already recorded six inches on the ground, the NWS said.

After battering the country's southwest and central areas, the storm system was expected to hit the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states before a frigid air mass settles in.

The US federal government preemptively announced offices would be closed on Monday.

"We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!" President Donald Trump, who was riding out the storm in Washington, said on his Truth Social platform.

But Trump – who scoffs at climate change science and has rolled back green energy policies – questioned how the cold front fit into broader climate shifts on Truth Social, writing, ""WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???"

Multiple states have now declared states of emergency as meteorologists said the storm system forming off the California coast would soon begin its march across much of the continental US, covering a wide swath of the country's middle.

More than 1,500 weekend flights have already been canceled, according to the tracker Flightaware, including many in Texas.

State officials there vowed that the power grid that failed during a deadly winter storm five years ago and left millions without power was prepared this time around.

Meanwhile, in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul warned of extreme cold that could make even short trips outdoors dangerous, urging people to stock up now, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay inside.

She emphasized risks ranging from hypothermia and heart attacks while shoveling to power outages, while stressing precautions like protecting pipes, using heaters safely, and checking on vulnerable neighbors.

Hochul told reporters the state is fully mobilized, with thousands of utility workers, plows, and emergency crews on standby to keep roads clear, restore power, and protect those most at risk.

New Yorkers will wake up to more warnings on Friday, ahead of a massive winter storm expected to hit this weekend.

The FDNY posted a series of practical tips on how to prepare for the freezing cold, including safe usage of space heaters and clearing entryways of snow.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Thursday that snowfall is expected start on Saturday evening and continue through Monday.

"The forecast is predicted anywhere between three to 12 inches of snow," he said at a press conference, revealing that city-wide pre-snow treatment would begin today.

"On Saturday morning, roughly 2,000 sanitation workers will begin 12-hour shifts, removing snow around the clock," Mamdani added. "As we speak, our sanitation fleet is being transformed into a snow-clearing fleet."

According to a CNN report, at least 70 million people will be affected by the severe winter weather.