A man walks along Lake Michigan at sunrise amid sub-zero temperatures on December 22, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP
At least 34 people have died in the US as a severe Arctic freeze continues to grip much of North America.
The worst-hit area has been Buffalo, in upstate New York, where seven weather-related deaths were recorded and strong winds have hampered rescue efforts.
The storm has wreaked havoc for days. Fewer than 200,000 US homes and businesses remained without power early on Sunday, down from a peak of 1.7 million, the Associated Press reports.
The reach of the blizzard conditions has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as Texas.
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.
The "bomb cyclone" winter storm - which occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets, causing heavy snow and winds - has disrupted travel across the country.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled, preventing many people from reaching their families at Christmas.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul - a native of Buffalo - said: "This will go down in history as Buffalo's most devastating storm."
Some of the seven dead in the area were found in cars and snow banks, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told Reuters news agency.
A family walks and runs during a winter snow storm affecting most of the USA, in Flint, MI on December 23, 2022. Photo: Katie McTiernan / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado.
The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -45C.
In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec are bearing the brunt of the storm.
In Quebec, almost 120,000 customers were without electricity on Sunday.
Officials say it could take days for some households to be reconnected.
-BBC
