A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States has left hundreds of thousands of households without electricity, disrupted air travel and caused multiple deaths, as authorities warned of life-threatening conditions from Texas to New England.

Snow, ice and freezing rain have affected a vast stretch of the country, with around 180 million people, more than half of the US population, facing dangerous weather, according to the National Weather Service. Officials said the extreme conditions could persist for several days.

At least two people died of hypothermia in Louisiana, while another weather-related death was reported in Texas. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least five people died over the weekend, though the causes were still being determined.

PowerOutage.us reported that more than one million households lost electricity by Sunday afternoon, as ice damaged trees and power lines. Air travel was also heavily disrupted, with more than 10,000 flights canceled nationwide, according to FlightAware.

Several states declared emergencies as the storm intensified. Schools closed across large parts of the country, and the US Senate postponed a scheduled vote. In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the capital was experiencing its heaviest snowfall in a decade.

Governors warned residents to stay indoors and off roads, citing hazardous travel conditions. Weather experts said ice posed the greatest danger, contributing to hundreds of vehicle crashes, including more than 200 reported in Virginia.

Meteorologists linked the storm to a weakened polar vortex, allowing Arctic air to plunge southward. Forecasts warned of prolonged cold and heavy snowfall continuing into early February.

With inputs from BBC