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At least 38 deaths have now been linked to a severe Arctic freeze that continues to pummel the US and Canada.<\/p>\n
Officials say 34 people died across the US, with the worst-hit area being the city of Buffalo, in New York state.<\/p>\n
Four fatalities occurred in Canada when a bus rolled over on an icy road near the town of Merritt, in the western province of British Columbia.<\/p>\n
The scope of the winter storm has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as the Rio Grande.<\/p>\n
Forecasters say the storm will ease off in the next few days but the advice remains to avoid travelling unless essential.<\/p>\n
The storm has wreaked havoc for days but power has been steadily restored after earlier blackouts.<\/p>\n
Fewer than 200,000 customers were without power as of Sunday afternoon EDT, down from a peak of 1.7 million, the Associated Press reports.<\/p>\n
Thousands of flights have been cancelled, preventing many people from reaching their families at Christmas.<\/p>\n
More than 55 million Americans remained under wind chill alerts on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The “bomb cyclone” winter storm – which occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets, causing heavy snow and winds – has disrupted travel across the US.<\/p>\n
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul – a native of Buffalo – said : “This will go down in history as Buffalo’s most devastating storm.”<\/p>\n
“It is [like] going to a war zone and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking,” she told reporters on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
Residents still faced a “very dangerous life-threatening situation” and anyone in the area should remain indoors, she said.<\/p>\n
Twelve deaths were confirmed in Erie County, with some victims found dead in cars or snow banks.
\nStorm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. South Florida’s temperatures dropped so low, that iguanas froze and fell from trees.<\/p>\n
The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C).<\/p>\n
In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec are bearing the brunt of the storm.<\/p>\n
In Quebec almost 120,000 customers were without electricity on Sunday. Officials say it could take some days for some households to be reconnected.<\/p>\n