A life-threatening Arctic air mass has settled over a vast portion of the United States today, following a monster winter storm that has already claimed at least 23 lives. Approximately 190 million people from New Mexico to Maine are currently under some form of extreme cold alert. In parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, temperatures plummeted to -30°C early this morning, with windchills making it feel even colder, capable of causing frostbite on exposed skin within minutes.

The storm has crippled infrastructure, leaving well over 600,000 customers without electricity, particularly in southern states like Tennessee and Texas which are unaccustomed to such brutal winter weather. In New York City alone, eight people were found dead in the snow today, and authorities are investigating how many of these fatalities are directly linked to the record-breaking cold. Emergency shelters have reached capacity as municipalities struggle to clear several feet of snow from major highways.

The National Weather Service has warned that these freezing temperatures are likely to persist nightly well into the week. Transportation remains at a standstill in many regions, with thousands of flights cancelled at major hubs. Local governments are urging residents to avoid all travel and to check on elderly neighbors as the country digs out from one of the most intense winter events in recent history.