Millions of people across the United States endured another freezing night as a powerful winter storm continued to dump snow in the Northeast and coat parts of the South in thick ice. Many areas remained without electricity, while officials confirmed at least 30 deaths linked to the severe weather.

Heavy snowfall of more than one foot stretched across a vast 1,300-mile area, from Arkansas to New England. The extreme conditions brought traffic to a standstill, forced widespread flight cancellations, and shut schools across several states on Monday.

The National Weather Service said regions north of Pittsburgh recorded up to 20 inches of snow. Wind chills dropped to as low as minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit late Monday into Tuesday.

Cold wave set to continue

Forecasters warned that the harsh conditions are far from over. The National Weather Service said a fresh surge of Arctic air would keep temperatures well below freezing in areas already buried under snow and ice.

Meteorologists also cautioned that another winter storm could strike parts of the East Coast later this weekend, adding to the disruption.

Nearly two-thirds of the country remained under the grip of extreme cold, with the Lower 48 states expected to record an average low temperature of minus 9.8 degrees Fahrenheit. This would mark the coldest such reading since January 2014.

Death toll rises across several states

The storm proved deadly in many regions. Authorities reported that snowplows accidentally struck and killed two people in Massachusetts and Ohio. Teenagers died in sledding accidents in Arkansas and Texas.

In Kansas, police found a woman’s body buried in snow after she was last seen leaving a bar. In New York City, officials said eight people were found dead outdoors during the brutally cold weekend, though investigations into the causes of death were still ongoing.

Other states also reported fatalities. Tennessee confirmed four deaths. Louisiana and Pennsylvania reported three each. Mississippi reported two deaths, while New Jersey, South Carolina and Kentucky each reported one.

Hundreds of thousands remain without power

Power outages continued to plague large parts of the country. More than 630,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity Monday evening, according to poweroutage.com.

Most outages were concentrated in the South, where freezing rain caused trees and power lines to collapse. Northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee were among the worst affected.

Mississippi officials rushed emergency supplies to warming centers. These included cots, blankets, bottled water and generators. Governor Tate Reeves said the ice storm was the worst the state had seen since 1994, damaging at least 14 homes, one business and 20 public roads.

Campuses closed, cities struggle with ice and snow

The University of Mississippi canceled all classes for the week after its Oxford campus was left covered in dangerous ice. Many students remained without power.

Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill described the devastation on social media, saying so many trees and power lines had fallen that “it looks like a tornado went down every street.”

Local resident Tim Phillips saw falling branches smash his new garage, break a window and cut power to his home.

“It’s just one of those things that you try to prepare for,” Phillips said, “but this one was just unreal.”

Travel chaos across the country

Air travel was severely disrupted. More than 12,000 flights were delayed or canceled nationwide on Monday, according to FlightAware. On Sunday alone, 45% of all U.S. flights were canceled, marking the worst day for cancellations since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Cirium.

Snowfall continued in parts of New England through Monday evening, further complicating travel.

New York sees heaviest snow in years

New York City experienced its snowiest day in several years, with some neighborhoods receiving between 8 and 15 inches of snow.

Public schools were closed, but about 500,000 students were instructed to attend classes online. Traditional snow days have largely disappeared since remote learning became common during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bitter cold strains families and resources

As temperatures plunged, communities across the Midwest, South and Northeast woke up to subzero conditions.

In the Nashville area, power returned to thousands of homes, but more than 170,000 customers still spent the night without electricity. Many residents sought refuge in hotels, many of which quickly sold out.

Alex Murray moved his family into a Nashville hotel to keep pumped breast milk frozen for his six-month-old daughter.

“I know there’s many people that may not be able to find a place or pay for a place or anything like that, or even travel,” Murray said. “So, we were really fortunate.”