About 200 million Americans are under an extreme weather alert, while cold air coming from the northern plains - a vast prairie located east of the Rocky Mountains - is causing a sharp drop in temperatures.
According to Bob Orbach, a forecaster at the National Weather Service, "a rapid drop in temperatures is expected, sometimes by 50 degrees or more compared to the previous day. This is a pretty powerful system."
The storm, which is caused by a rare decrease in its speed in the barometric pressure, a phenomenon known as a "bomb cyclone", may also drop about 30 cm of snow in the Midwest, along with winds. Temperatures are expected to drop to lows along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and Florida, and in the eastern United States on Friday.
Stormy weather in the UK (Photo: GettyImages)
Difficult and dangerous road conditions in the UK (Photo: GettyImages)
Heavy rain, strong winds and flooding are expected in parts of the Northeast coast and New England, according to the weather service, followed by a cold spell, with the coldest areas seeing temperatures in the minus 50s.
Stormy weather is hitting the United States as more than 100 million Americans prepare to hit the road ahead of Christmas, which is celebrated this weekend.
The weather service warned of difficult and dangerous road conditions.
"Traveling in this weather will be extremely dangerous, and sometimes impossible. You risk getting stuck and exposing yourself to freezing weather."
Heavy snow (Photo: GettyImages)
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In Britain, too, an especially white Christmas is expected, with the forecast being for the "snowiest days in 12 years", against the background of arctic cold that will hit the island accompanied by heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures even after Christmas.
The forecasters warn of a drop in temperatures to minus 11 degrees Celsius.
According to James Madden, a forecaster at "Exact Weather", "temperatures will drop in the run-up to Christmas, accompanied by snow in parts of the country.
December and January show signs of cold snaps with below average temperatures and some winter storms.
We anticipate an especially long period of low temperatures - several weeks - and there is a chance for the snowiest and coldest weather since December 2010."
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