According to the National Weather Service, the U.S. is experiencing a “historic winter storm.” More than two-thirds of the population are warned of extreme weather. Temperatures have dropped to ten degrees below freezing in many places and could turn even colder in the coming days. Severe weather accompanied by snowfall. Friday was the coldest in the northern city of Havre in the state of Montana, where the temperature was measured at -39 degrees Celsius.

Nationwide, 1.5 million households and businesses were without power Friday. In North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Iowa, visibility on roads was nearly zero, and officials urged people to stay indoors. Several states reported road deaths due to the harsh conditions, with the total number of casualties yet to be determined.

In Canada, more than a million homes and businesses were without power, schools were closed and hundreds of flights were canceled. The winter storm hits the two most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec. More than sixty percent of Canadians live in these provinces.