Blizzard and Cold Snap Devastate United States

A powerful blizzard and severe cold snap have wreaked havoc across multiple states in the United States, claiming the lives of at least 30 people so far. According to reports citing the Associated Press, published by the British daily The Guardian, fatalities have been reported in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kansas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and other regions. In New York City, Mayor Joharan Mamdani confirmed that five people have died in the past two days alone.

Among the deceased, several succumbed to road and other accidents, while others died from hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when prolonged exposure to extreme cold causes the body to lose heat faster than it can produce it, leading to shivering, dehydration, disorientation, and eventually, loss of consciousness.

The frigid conditions are being driven by a cold air mass descending from the Arctic, bringing record-low temperatures across the nation. Since the beginning of the week, two-thirds of the country—home to over 348 million people—have been blanketed under thick layers of snow. The U.S. National Weather Service has issued “cold alerts” for more than 200 million residents, urging vigilance and caution.

The extreme weather has also disrupted the electricity supply. Sudden spikes in demand, coupled with the storm’s impact on power generation facilities, have left millions without electricity. According to PowerOutage.com, over 670,000 homes and businesses across multiple states remained without power as of Monday.

Schools and other educational institutions have been closed, and authorities have advised the public to remain indoors except for essential travel. Many airports have experienced severe flight disruptions, with air traffic monitoring agencies reporting that more than 17,000 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone, followed by over 10,000 cancellations on Monday. This marks the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that such a high volume of cancellations occurred in just two days.

The following table provides a snapshot of the impact of the blizzard and cold conditions across some of the hardest-hit states:

Authorities continue to monitor the evolving weather conditions and have urged residents to prepare for further disruptions. Emergency services remain on high alert to assist those in need. Officials have emphasised that the storm’s effects are expected to persist for several more days, with dangerously low temperatures continuing in many regions.