Heavy snowfall and icy road conditions are expected as a storm moving rapidly west from the interior parts of the United States and Canada meets cold air from the Atlantic.
More than 40 million Americans live in areas under severe weather warnings. In Michigan, more than 40,000 homes were without power Friday night, local time, and up to 10 inches of snow is expected in New York, the National Weather Service said.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a state of emergency in some parts of the state.
Weather warnings of varying degrees have also been issued in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as parts of Michigan, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, US media report.
Air traffic is also affected; 1,500 flights have been canceled, most in New York, and 6,000 have been delayed, writes AFP.
