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Blizzards and freezing cold: A man walks through the snow in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Photo: CRAIG LASSIG / AFP
A cold front is moving across large parts of the USA - due to strong winds, the temperature felt as low as minus 40 degrees in some places.
US media reported on Saturday that dozens of people had died as a result of the cold wave.
According to NBC, there have been at least 59 weather-related deaths in various states since January 12th.
According to media reports, 17 people have died in Tennessee so far, including a man who was trying to shovel snow off the roof of his house.
In Oregon, three people were killed by a power line that was downed by an ice storm, and a baby barely survived the incident.
Two people died of hypothermia in Louisiana.
Because of the freezing temperatures in Missouri on Saturday, a number of visitors to a football game in the stadium had to be treated by paramedics.
Texas called on its residents to save energy because of the freezing temperatures.
The extremely low temperatures should be over by the middle of the week at the latest.
Temperatures will be above average for this time of year starting Tuesday, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
The meteorologists said on Friday that there is a high probability that it will remain unusually warm at least until the beginning of February.
Only in Alaska it is expected to remain exceptionally cold.
jpa/dpa