As the snow storm in the South keeps going the Northeast gets ready for dangerously cold weather

While tens of thousands of people in Texas are still without power due to severe weather and ice roadways, the Northeast is bracing for a blast of bitterly cold air that might feel far below freezing.

Texas has borne the brunt of a deadly ice storm that dumped numerous rounds of sleet and freezing rain, generating perilous traffic conditions in neighbouring states such as Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the Memphis area in Tennessee.

Texas said on Wednesday that a third individual died during the storm after losing control of her truck on an ice road north of Eldorado. According to police, one person was killed in a 10-vehicle pileup in Austin, while another died after their automobile rolled over in the Dallas-area community of Arlington.

While temperatures are predicted to gradually rise on Thursday, the accumulation of numerous layers of ice and sleet has damaged tree branches and limbs and caused power outages in over 360,000 Texas homes and businesses. As ice freezes the ground, thousands of people are likely to be without adequate heating or hot water.

Overnight through early Thursday, a further quarter-inch of ice could coat already slick highways, especially in central and northern Texas, southern Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

"This may push storm total ice accumulations to more than 0.5" for several sites, increasing the possibility of catastrophic tree damage and power outages, as well as slick, dangerous roads. Sleet may mix in with the freezing rain at times, increasing the likelihood of icing on the roads, according to the National Weather Service.

A separate winter storm could bring temperatures below zero to the Northeast by late Thursday night, leading officials in several states to make preparations.

Beginning at noon Thursday and lasting over the weekend, Connecticut's governor activated the state's severe cold weather protocol.

"With the kind of severe cold weather that is headed our way, frostbite can occur on exposed flesh in under 30 minutes. "Spending extended amounts of time outside in these conditions is not only dangerous, but it may be lethal," warned Gov. Ned Lamont.

Shelters and warming centres are available throughout Connecticut, and transportation can be given as needed, according to the governor.

Warming centres are also likely to be available in Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont, according to officials.

In advance of the bitterly cold weather, Boston's mayor proclaimed a cold emergency from Friday through Sunday.

"During this frigid emergency, I urge all Boston residents to take care, stay warm and safe, and check on your neighbours," Mayor Michelle Wu stated.

This weekend, millions will be affected by extreme cold.

More than 15 million people in the Northeast are likely to be under a wind chill watch or warning beginning Thursday night or Friday morning and lasting until at least Saturday afternoon.

When the temperature is projected to drop to -25 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, the National Weather Service issues a wind chill warning.

Wind chill warnings are expected to be issued for all of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, as well as northern Connecticut, parts of eastern and central New York, and northeast Pennsylvania.

"The coldest air now in the Northern Hemisphere is descending on the area Friday through Friday night," the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine, warned.

The frigid air is expected to travel into the Northeast Thursday night and Friday, with temperatures falling below zero on Friday night and Saturday early.

Temperatures in northern New England will plunge to 15 to 25 degrees below zero. Furthermore, the cold temperatures will be accompanied by gusts of 25 to 40 mph, making air as far south as New York City seem like it is -10 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Avoid doing anything outside on Friday and Saturday!" Cold temperatures combined with the wind chill factor might result in potentially life-threatening outdoor situations," the New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, northern New York and northern New England will feel like -35 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chills as low as 65 degrees below zero in some places. Frostbite can occur in as little as five minutes under these harsh conditions.