Extreme Cold Sweeps U.S., Nearly 50 Confirmed Dead as Arctic Grip Tightens

A powerful winter storm and prolonged Arctic cold have claimed dozens of lives across the United States, leaving widespread destruction, dangerous temperatures, and hundreds of thousands without power.

As of Wednesday, at least 49 deaths have been confirmed as directly caused by the storm or weather-related incidents, according to CBS News. Officials across several states are also investigating roughly two dozen additional deaths believed to be linked to the extreme winter conditions.

Reported causes include hypothermia, vehicle and snowplow crashes, sledding accidents, and cardiac emergencies triggered by shoveling snow. In New York City alone, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said 10 people were found dead from cold exposure, though some causes remain under investigation.

The storm swept across nearly two-thirds of the country from the weekend into Monday, affecting an estimated 200 million people with heavy snow, freezing rain, sleet, and dangerously low temperatures, the National Weather Service reported.

Frigid air has continued to blanket much of the eastern United States throughout the week, driving temperatures far below seasonal averages. CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan warned the cold spell could become “the longest duration of cold in several decades.”

Extreme cold alerts remained in place through Thursday, with wind chills plunging well below zero and temperatures running 15 to 25 degrees below normal. In the New York City area, wind chills dropped as low as minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday, with another surge of Arctic air forecast to arrive.

Meanwhile, power outages persisted days after the storm. More than 312,000 customers—mainly across southern and southeastern states—were still without electricity as of Wednesday night, according to poweroutage.us.