(BBC News) A fierce winter storm has caused widespread disruptions in the U.S., while southeastern parts of the country brace for record-high temperatures.
As of Wednesday, about 75 million people in 28 states have been placed under winter weather alerts.
Blizzards in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have forced many schools and businesses to close.
Meanwhile, high temperatures in Washington DC are expected to break a nearly 150-year-old record.
Some parts of the U.S. will be 100F (38C) warmer than others at the same time.
Powerful wind gusts potentially reaching 50 mph (80 km/h) and a wind chill as low as -50F in some parts are predicted.
In northern states, forecasts of up to 2 feet (60 cm) of snow could mean areas endure their biggest snowfalls for 30 years.
Minnesota’s governor Tim Walz said the National Guard will be available to help motorists who become stuck in the blizzard conditions there. The state may break its record for snowfall, officials said.
Forecasters said the storm system could span 1,300 miles from Nebraska to New Hampshire.
More than 5,000 flights have been cancelled in the U.S. as a result of the storm.
Icy weather is also forecast for typically sunny and warm Los Angeles, California, where a rare blizzard warning has been issued. Major snow and winds up to 75 mph are forecast in the mountains and foothills of Ventura and Los Angeles County.
All of California’s 39 million residents will be able to see snow either falling around them or settling at the tops of nearby mountains, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California-Los Angeles.
As of Wednesday night, temperatures down to -9F have been recorded in Montana.
Meanwhile, much of the southern U.S. is basking in unusually high temperatures for this time of year. On Wednesday, McAllen, Texas, recorded 95F.
Washington DC could hit 80F on Thursday, which would break a record for February 23 set in 1874.
Orlando, Florida, could hit 90F, and New Orleans, Louisiana, could notch 84F.
“All winter, we’ve seen this persistent pattern, where the western U.S. is seeing below-average temperatures and the eastern U.S. is seeing above-average temperatures,” climate scientist Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a researcher at Columbia University, told BBC News.
Large parts of Canada are under weather alerts, including Toronto, which is expecting 10-15 cm of snow, ice pellets, and possible freezing rain.
The winter storm has also halted flights. Air Canada had cancelled about a quarter of its scheduled flights by Wednesday afternoon.
The country just had record-breaking warm temperatures for February. Now, parts of Toronto could see significant ice build-up as a result of this recent cold snap.
Parts of Alberta and the Prairies are facing extreme cold warnings, with temperatures dropping in some regions into the -40 range with wind chill.
