In the frozen United States: 33 dead – under the weight of bad weather with polar cold, snow and freezing rain. [βίντεο]

At least 33 people had died as of late Wednesday in the United States, as severe winter storms and an Arctic cold snap froze much of the country.

Many of the deaths reported so far are due to weather-related conditions, such as traffic accidents due to icy roads and hypothermia caused by extremely cold temperatures.

Heavy snow and freezing rain covered much of the northwest U.S. coast, closing roads and causing power outages that left nearly 100,000 residents in the dark, according to PowerOutage.us. The US National Weather Service (NWS) warned that in addition to the storms, more severe winter weather is on the way. “The heaviest snow season for this storm has yet to arrive,” the National Weather Service in Spokane, Washington, said.

Severe weather warnings in several US states

The US National Weather Service continued, “Heavy snow (30-60 cm) is expected through Friday in the Cascades and Northern Rockies, making travel risky,” adding that an inch of ice could cover the ground in Portland, Oregon.

Authorities issued weather warnings in the southern states of the United States, such as Mississippi and Tennessee, as well as states in the northeast, such as New York, Connecticut, and Maine.

In Tennessee, ten million residents were asked to conserve energy to avoid power outages due to near-freezing temperatures and cold winds.

Traffic chaos due to bad weather conditions

According to meteorologists, up to 12 cm of snow is expected by Friday in New York and Connecticut. In Buffalo, New York, snow already stands at more than 70 centimeters, and its height could double in the next 24 to 48 hours. Maine is also bracing for more snow, as well as flood warnings and an Arctic cold snap expected to drop temperatures below freezing.

Winter storms in the United States have caused chaos on highways, with overturned pickup trucks and traffic accidents caused by heavy snow and ice on the roads.

More than 10,000 flights have been delayed, nearly 3,000 flights have been canceled, and more delays and cancellations are expected as storms continue to wreak havoc through the weekend.