The fatalities were reported from multiple states, largely due to traffic accidents, exposure to extreme cold and storm-related medical emergencies. Federal and state officials warned that the death toll could rise as severe weather conditions persist in several regions.

Nearly one million homes and businesses were left without electricity after heavy snow and ice brought down trees and power lines. Tennessee emerged as the worst-hit state, with more than 337,000 customers facing outages by Sunday afternoon. Louisiana and Mississippi reported over 100,000 power cuts each, while large areas of Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and West Virginia were also affected.

Utility companies cautioned that restoring power could take weeks in some areas due to the scale of the damage. “The destruction to infrastructure is widespread,” Tippah Electric Power said in a statement, while the Tennessee Valley Authority confirmed that although the main grid remains stable, local outages continue.

Air travel across the country was severely disrupted. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported that more than 10,800 flights were cancelled on Sunday, with an additional 14,000 delayed. American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United and JetBlue accounted for the majority of cancellations. Aviation experts said disruptions could continue for several days as aircraft and runways remain affected by ice and low visibility.

President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in 20 states, enabling the release of federal resources. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has deployed emergency supplies, personnel and search-and-rescue teams to the worst-hit regions.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned residents to prepare for one of the longest and coldest spells in years. “This is a severe Arctic storm with bone-chilling temperatures,” she said. Areas near the Canadian border recorded extreme lows, with temperatures plunging to –37°C in Watertown and as low as –45°C in parts of northern New York.

Massachusetts also faced its harshest storm in four years, with Boston and surrounding areas receiving between one and two feet of snow. Strong winds, exceeding 35 mph in coastal areas such as Nantucket, further worsened conditions.

Meteorologists attributed the extreme weather to a southward shift of the polar vortex, a large system of cold air that typically circles the Arctic. When displaced, it can unleash dangerous cold across North America, Europe and Asia. Experts warned that prolonged exposure in such conditions can be life-threatening within minutes, urging residents to remain indoors and limit travel.

Authorities across affected states have advised caution as recovery efforts continue and additional snowfall remains possible.