Death toll from America’s big freeze rises over 50 as stranded drivers freeze to death in their cars

The bomb cyclone that has brought freezing temperatures and up to six feet of snow to North America has caused at least 50 deaths across the US and Canada.

The US recorded 46 fatalities and four more people died on Christmas Eve after a bus rolled over on icy roads in British Columbia, Canada.

The deep freeze is linked to 18 deaths in the state of New York, particularly in Buffalo where the ‘lake-effect’ – when frigid air moves over warmer lake waters and creates a freezing spray – has been lethal.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the city of Buffalo is like a ‘war zone’ and that some people ended up being stuck in their cars for two days.

Temperatures dropped as low as -50F (-45C) in Montana and in Des Moines, Iowa, it felt like -37F (-38C), which meant people could suffer frostbite in less than five minutes.

The storm is expected to claim more lives after trapping residents inside houses and knocking out power – as some areas prepare for upwards of 30 inches of snow by Tuesday.

Plows work to clear ice and snow along the Lake Erie shoreline during the Christmas holidays

A drone image shows the deep freeze in Cheektowaga, New York, covered in a blanket of snow

A weather map shows the freezing conditions across large parts of the country today

The devastating storm impacting the U.S. continues to rage, with 50 now confirmed to have died – including 18 across New York state

Snow quickly piled up in Erie County, New York, home to Buffalo. Nearly four feet of snow had fallen by Sunday morning 

In Erie County, three people were killed from cardiac events while snow shoveling and snow blowing during the storm

Residents in Buffalo continue to deal with freezing temperatures, power outages, and more snow is forecast 

Buffalo’s snowfall total for all of the 2022-2023 season is less than three inches away from the total normal seasonal snow for the area 

One man attempted to plow through several feet of snow in Buffalo on Sunday

More than 55million people are still under weather alerts and on Christmas Day, New York Governor Hochul held a press conference where she described the blizzard as ‘the most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long, storied history’ of horrific storms.

‘It is devastating. It is going to a war zone,’ Hochul said Sunday. In Buffalo, some of those who died were found in cars and others were found on the street in snowbanks, according to Mark Poloncarz, the executive of Erie County.

‘There may be more,’ Poloncarz said. ‘I don’t want to say this is going to be it, because that would be fallacy for me to say that. 

‘Because we know there are people stuck in cars for more than two days. And there are people in homes that are below freezing temperatures.’

More than 200,000 people across several eastern states woke up without power on Christmas morning and many more had their holiday travel plans upended, although the five-day-long storm featuring blizzard conditions and ferocious winds showed signs of easing.

It forced the cancellation of nearly 3,000 US flights on Sunday, in addition to some 3,500 scrapped on Saturday and nearly 6,000 Friday, according to tracking website Flightaware.com.

More than 1,000 US flights had already been canceled just hours into Monday, the website reported.

The 18 killed in western New York includes six in Buffalo, one in Amherst, three in Cheektowaga and one in Lockport, according to local officials. 

The one person killed in the Lockport died after heavy snow covered the external furnace at a home, causing a case of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Poloncarz late Sunday evening shared that four of those killed were found outside, one inside a car, and one inside a home. 

Three were killed from cardiac events from snow shoveling and snow blowing events and three died while waiting for EMS to arrive.  

‘Sadly, we’re getting reports of additional deaths that still need to be confirmed,’ Poloncarz said Sunday. 

The ages of those killed in Buffalo and the surrounding areas range from 26 to 93. One victim has so far been identified; 56 year-old William Clay, who died on his birthday, December 23, after trying to walk through the snow to go to a store. 

Driving bans remained in place going into Monday morning. 

Conditions were so turbulent on Saturday evening, Buffalo Fire Department vehicles could not answer calls.

‘It is devastating. It is going to a war zone,’ NY Governor Kathy Hochul said Sunday morning during a press conference

‘Sadly, we’re getting reports of additional deaths that still need to be confirmed,’ Poloncarz said Sunday evening

In total, 18 have been killed by the effects of the storm in western New York 

Nationwide, 35 people have died from the devastating storm

Thousand of Americans were snowed in on Christmas Day and will continue to see winter conditions continue into the middle of the week 

Three people in the Buffalo area died while waiting on delayed EMS, according to Erie County officials 

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz shared this devastating breakdown of the deaths in the Buffalo area from the bomb cyclone

Buffalo is set to be battered by another 36 inches of snow until Tuesday, with the National Weather Service warning extreme flurries will soon hit.

Officials confirmed that the area is no longer under blizzard warnings after being pummeled by 80-mph winds and multiple deaths on Christmas Eve. 

Poloncarz has compared the current weather disaster to the deadly blizzard of 1977  which claimed the lives of 29 people. 

As of Sunday evening, Hochul said New York state police have been involved in more than 500 rescues. 

Officials have urged residents in Buffalo to stay inside and stay warm during the storm 

Local officials have struggled to keep up with the snow as hundreds of rescues have taken place since the storm began 

Cars were stranded in the snow on hazardous roads blocked by snow

As many as 15,000 customers in the Buffalo area are still without power as officials say it may take days to turn it back on. 

‘Substations froze. They were snowed under. We had a report that one substation had an 18-foot drift on to it,’ Poloncarz said. 

‘And when they got in the substation was frozen. They still don’t even know to the extent the damage that occurred in the substation,’ the executive continued. 

Those without power have been told to leave their water faucets on in order to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. 

Millions of people hunkered down against a deep freeze Sunday morning to ride out the frigid storm

Two people making snow angels after a snowstorm in Buffalo, NY, as the National Weather Service warn that being outdoors in some areas could lead to ‘frostbite in minutes’

Hoaks restaurant along the Lake Erie shoreline in Hamburg has been entirely covered in ice after being hit by freezing spray from the lake

Snow blankets a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, as the blizzards stopped for a few minutes

On Saturday, a 56 year-old father was identified as the first victim of the storm. 

William ‘Romello’ Clay had been missing since midnight on December 23 after leaving his home to go to the store. 

Video shared online showed a man lying face down in the snow Saturday afternoon near Bailey and Kensington Avenue in Buffalo. 

The remains were later identified by Clay’s family members. 

William Clay, 56, went by Romello and was remembered by loved ones online after his body was found lying face down in the snow at Bailey and Kensington Avenue in Buffalo

Just after 6pm Sunday, the National Weather Service of Buffalo shared a startling statistic regarding the snow fall totals in the area. 

‘A very snowy start to the season, with lake effect events focusing upon the #Buffalo airport and vicinity. The 92.7′ of snow is not only the most snow to start the winter season through #Christmas, but also just 2.7′ behind the typical entire seasonal snowfall,’ NWS Buffalo tweeted. 

An estimated 43 inches of snow had fallen in Buffalo as of Sunday morning, according to AccuWeather.

On Friday , Buffalo received 22.3 inches, followed by 17.9 inches on Christmas Eve. 

Others killed have yet to be identified in what Governor Hochul on Sunday called ‘the most devastating storm’ in history. 

Throughout the weekend, Erie County warming centers were forced to close because they lost power during the storm. 

The National Weather Service has warned that being outdoors in some areas could lead to ‘frostbite in minutes’.

Fatalities have been recorded in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and New York, with four people dying on Saturday in a three-vehicle crash on an interstate highway in Ohio. 

Alya Eren posted beneath a huge snowman that she created in Montreal, Canada, on Christmas Day

A man clears snow from the front of his home, Sunday, in Buffalo. Four people were found dead in snow banks and their cars

Buffalo is set to be battered by another 36 inches of snow until Tuesday, with the National Weather Service warning of extreme flurries 

A snow drift nearly touches the bottom of two swings in the back yard of a property in Buffalo

People take a walk along Lakeshore Boulevard in Montreal despite the blizzard warnings in place 

The aftermath of the bomb-cyclone has caused blizzard conditions across almost every state in the US – as millions in New York City have been warned to conserve energy. 

ConEdison urged their four million customers to conserve energy until ‘further notice’ because of the frigid weather, which has issued an increased demand on gas pipelines.

They warned that the call to turn the heating down would affect 1.1 million natural gas customers and 3.5 million electric customers.

Locals in Jackson, Mississippi, have been told they must boil their drinking water because of water lines bursting in the freezing weather. 

Western New York has seen winds of up to 70mph, with blizzard warnings in place so Niagara, Orleans, Erie and Genesee counties until 7am on Sunday.

Emergency workers in Buffalo made at least 50 rescues between Friday and Saturday – including a small child

Fallen branches cover picnic tables in Canada as temperatures continue to plummet across the US

Brave residents in Western New York attempted to battle the snow for Christmas – as thousands became snowed-in their properties

Emergency workers in Buffalo made at least 50 rescues between Friday and Saturday – including a small child.

Chief Brian Britzzalaro of the Erie County Sheriff’s Department said: ‘I lived through the Blizzard of ’77. This is worse.’

Wyoming, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties have a winter storm warning through until Monday, with heavy snow, lakeshore flooding and whiteout conditions are causing life-threatening conditions.

Buffalo Airport has seen cancellations with many people becoming stranded and some even being frozen inside their homes as the blistering winter whips the city.

Lake Erie has seen mass flooding, with a restaurant becoming an ice palace after spray from the shoreline hit the entire building.

A rare freeze spray warning has been issued for both Erie and Chautauqua counties until 4pm on Sunday, with the lake rarely whipping up freezing spray to those on the shoreline

Buffalo Airport has seen cancellations with many people becoming stranded and some even being frozen inside their homes as the blistering winter whips the city

Residents have been urged to stay off the roads, with a driving ban put in place to protect the locals and executives warned that the ‘best place you can be is home, safe’

More than 25,000 customers in Erie County were without power as of 4 pm Saturday, with more expected to be affected as the extreme weather continues to batter the country.

Residents have been urged to stay off the roads, with a driving ban put in place to protect the locals and executives warned that the ‘best place you can be is home, safe’.

A rare freeze spray warning has been issued for both Erie and Chautauqua counties until 4pm on Sunday, with the lake rarely whipping up freezing spray to those on the shoreline.

The National Weather Service said: ‘In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes.

Emergency workers in Buffalo made at least 50 rescues between Friday and Saturday – including a small child. Chief Brian Britzzalaro of the Erie County Sheriff’s Department said: ‘I lived through the Blizzard of ’77. This is worse’

Ice formed by the spray of Lake Erie waves covers a walkway during a winter storm in Irving, New York

The American Medical Response of Western New York has also suffered from stolen emergency vehicles after becoming stuck in the snow

‘If you must travel or be out in the elements, prepare for the extreme cold by dressing in layers, covering as much exposed areas of skin as possible and pack winter safety kits in your vehicles.’

Homes in Tonawanda in Erie County have been entirely buried in blankets of snow of up to six-foot as residents are struggling with a power outage.

Two golf domes within Buffalo City have been destroyed, with the furious storm causing them to collapse.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday almost every fire truck in the city was stranded in the snow, as she asked residents to ‘bundle up, stay indoors, and stay safe this weekend.’

National Grid, which services customers in New York and Massachusetts, is asking its customers in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island to reduce natural gas usage until Sunday afternoon – affecting 1.9 million customers.

New York’s international airport was shut down, with tens of thousands of flight being canceled in the past week due to the snow bomb.

New Yorkers and tourists are confronted with a heavy cold weather of 11 degree – with many bundling up

Thousands of people in Seattle were stuck on planes for hours amid the blizzard conditions, with at last 3,000 flights canceled on Christmas Day already.

Seattle saw hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses left without power with millions left on the edge about the possibility of blackouts.

The American Medical Response of Western New York has also suffered from stolen emergency vehicles after becoming stuck in the snow.

A Chevy Tahoe with AMR markings was stuck in the snow less than a mile from the organization’s office.

Authorities sent a loader to dig the vehicle out, but by the time they arrived, it had been stolen – with officials warning the public not to approach the vehicle if spotted.

Seattle saw hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses left without power with millions left on the edge about the possibility of blackouts

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday almost every fire truck in the city was stranded in the snow, as she asked residents to ‘bundle up, stay indoors, and stay safe this weekend’

Two golf domes within Buffalo City have been destroyed, with the furious storm causing them to collapse

Homes in Tonawanda in Erie County have been entirely buried in blankets of snow of up to six-foot as residents are struggling with a power outage

 Ice adorns a fountain in Charleston, South Carolina, with the temperatures plummeting to 0C (32F) 

Police in West Seneca warned people to stay inside as they posted footage from the car park of a Wegmans store – showing the blistering snow that was whipping the car.

Officers were unable to see through the windscreen of their car as the storm rallied around them, meaning any visibility was nearly impossible.

The storm has swept from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande on The Mexican border – with thousands of flights being canceled and causing chaos in the air.

Drivers in Idaho have been urged to use ‘extreme caution’ if they are forced on the roads during the freezing rain warnings.

The water system in Jackson, Mississippi, which partially collapsed in late August, was experiencing ‘fluctuating’ pressure impacting residents on Saturday amid frigid temperatures.