Monster storm to hit 180m people, bringing snow and extreme cold

Thousands of flights across the US were cancelled over the weekend as a monster storm started to wreak havoc across much of the country, knocking out power and snarling major roadways with dangerous ice.

Widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people - more than half the U.S. population.

It's not so much the snow that's the problem during this extreme winter storm in the US.

It's the ice. And we're not talking about customs agents. Actual ice, frozen water that is making this weather system different and more dangerous.

The winter storms affecting around 180 million people from New Mexico to New England are followed by extremely cold weather that stays around longer than usual.

This creates icy conditions, making clean-up and relief efforts more difficult and hazardous.

Some meteorologists liken it to a hurricane. Snow cannot bring down power lines but ice can, with more than 120,000 affected by power cuts, mostly in Texas and Louisiana.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked residents to stay off the roads.

"This will not just be snow; this storm will also bring with it intense cold," said Mamdani. "A prolonged period of frigid temperatures that will last through the next week.

"Frankly, it will be colder than any sustained period that New York has experienced in about eight years. But New York, whatever comes for it, this city is ready."

In Chicago, Illinois, workers from non-profit The Orange Tent Project, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter, even as their own volunteers struggled in the cold.

In Jackson, Mississippi, non-profit Shower Power raced to set up a new cold-resistant shelter ahead of the impending storm.

The shelter can hold 75 people and the group is working to ensure no one is left outside.

In Oklahoma City, authorities treated roads with brine to counter the effects of slippery ice.

Schools out in many Midwestern cities, with the deep freeze turning Lake Michigan into ice and sludge.