A whirlpool of freezing, dense air known as a "polar vortex" has pummelled parts of the US with potentially record low temperatures and high snowfall.
More than a foot of snow has been dumped on a large part of the Midwest, forcing officials to close schools in Chicago, St Louis and Milwaukee on Monday.
Temperatures as low as -35C (-31F) are forecast for Fargo, North Dakota, while Madison, Wisconsin, will experience -29C (-21F) and even Chicago and Minneapolis could drop to -27C (-15F).
With the wind chill factor, those temperatures could plummet into the -50s and -60s centigrade.
Packers fans watch the seventh coldest NFL game in history By Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting 48 US states will have wind chills of below zero - an area of 1.5 million square miles.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has upgraded the city's travel emergency level to "red", making it illegal for anyone to drive except for emergencies or to seek shelter.
The last time the city issued such a warning was in 1978.
In New York City, the temperature was expected to drop sharply from about 11C (52F) to around -12C (10F) overnight as the arctic air moved in.
The polar vortex will hit temperatures in 48 US states by Tuesday For several states in the Midwest, the bitter cold is adding to problems caused by a snow storm over the weekend.
The NWS said Chicago's O'Hare International Airport saw more than 11 inches of snow on Sunday.
Missouri transport officials said it was too cold for rock salt to be effective and several roads in Illinois were closed because of drifting snow.
The extreme weather is affecting area of 1.5 million square miles Government offices and courts in several states have also been closed.
In Newfoundland, Canada, around 30,000 customers remain without power because of rolling blackouts over the last few days.
The record cold temperatures are also affecting southern states.
Louisiana citrus farmers have been warned they could lose any fruit they cannot pick as two nights of freezing temperatures are forecast.
Predicted temperatures across the US on Tuesday morning More than 1,000 flights were cancelled at airports across the Midwest including Chicago, Indianapolis and St Louis. O'Hare International Airport had 400 flights cancelled on Monday morning.
Fans braved subzero temperatures to watch the Green Bay Packers lose 20-23 to the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.
The game kicked off with temperatures of -15C (5F), making it the seventh coldest NFL game in history.
People in Canada have also been reporting hearing loud "booms" known as "frost quakes"
The phenomenon - or cryoseism - takes place when water underground freezes and then expands, forcing the ground to crack and creating the noise.
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