Experts warn that the plunging temperatures are wreaking havoc across the US and Canada, with bare skin freezing in just five to 10 minutes.
A powerful Arctic winter storm has put more than 135 million people under weekend weather warnings ahead of the busiest travel days of the year.
The warnings stretch from coast to coast and reach as far south as the US-Mexico border and the Sunshine State of Florida.
Major airports have canceled thousands of flights as the storm intensified.
Forecasters say the cold snap could bring the snowiest Christmas in decades.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said temperatures of -50F (-45C) and -70F are possible in parts of the country this weekend.
Even in large metro areas, such as the city of Des Moines, Iowa, the threat of frost will be a major threat, he warned.
Frostbite occurs when blood flow is reduced, often to organs such as the nose and cheeks or fingers and toes. A lack of warm blood can lead to tissue clotting and tearing, and in some cases, amputation.
Meteorologists say the winter storm could turn into a ‘bomb cyclone’ by Friday.
A bomb cyclone is the term given to an explosive storm that rapidly intensifies, with its central air pressure dropping to at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.
“This is not like a snow day when you were a kid, this is serious stuff,” President Joe Biden said at a White House briefing on Thursday.
An arctic air mass is expected to bring strong winds and temperatures of 15F (-9.4C) to El Paso, Texas, where newly arrived undocumented immigrants are sleeping rough on the city’s streets.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochol declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm.
He said the risk of flooding and ice jams “is going to be very devastating in our community”. Ice jams occur when large chunks of ice block the flow of a river and can cause flooding.
The governors of Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Oklahoma have also declared states of emergency, while Wisconsin has declared an “energy emergency.”
