Arctic freeze continues to swarm parts of US with below-zero temperatures

An arctic blast producing sub-freezing temperatures will continue to barrel down across much of the U.S. on Monday.

The severe weather has caused power outages impacting thousands of people Sunday in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

With temperatures dropping in Texas, the state’s power grid operator appealed to residents to voluntarily conserve electricity Monday morning due to the cold weather causing "record breaking demand" for energy.

A hard-freeze and wind chill warnings were in effect for much of northern Texas, with plunging temperatures that are a threat not just to people but to animals left outdoors, the Associated Press reported.

Freezing rain is expected to pelt parts of the Southern Plains and Southern Appalachians.

In Oregon, more than 97,000 homes and businesses lost power, most of them in the Portland area, a day after high winds and a mix of snow and ice brought down trees and power lines.

Meanwhile, airports nationwide were affected, with nearly half the flights in and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport canceled. Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at Chicago, Denver and Seattle-Tacoma airports.

Pedestrians hop over a snowbank during a winter storm ahead of the Iowa caucus in Des Moines, Iowa, US, on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The National Weather Service said wind chills are projected to push temperatures 30 degrees below zero from the Northern Rockies to northern Kansas and into Iowa Monday, the Associated Press reported.

With the Iowa caucus happening Monday, the bitterly cold temperatures could impact the first Republican contest, which has been held since 1972.

Highs near Des Moines and much of Iowa possibly won't reach zero degrees with wind chill values in the negative territory, according to FOX Weather.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, wind gusts over 20 mph could create feels-like temperatures closer to -20 degrees, which is dangerous for anyone not well protected from the elements.

Arctic storms left at least four dead and brought snow to the South and pounded the Northeast with blizzard conditions, leading to the postponement of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills NFL playoff game hosted in frigid Buffalo, New York.

The Bills invited fans to help dig out snow-filled Highmark Stadium, offering $20 an hour for their labor. The game was postponed until Monday due to the weather conditions in western New York over the weekend.

The Associated Press and FOX Weather contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.

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