Major winter storm to affect 80 million people

MILLIONS of Americans are under critical weather alerts as a major winter storm is set to bring “life-threatening” cold temperatures and powerful winds to large swathes of the nation – with the mercury expected to drop as low as -28.8 degrees Celsius across the Midwest and Great Lakes.

More than 80 million Americans – spanning from coast to coast – are under various forms of wind chill alerts, according to FOX Weather meteorologist Christopher Tate.

“We could see wind gusts of 40 to 50m/h (64km/h to 80km/h),” he told the New York Post on Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an occasional gust of 60 (96km/h) along the coast.”

The intense Arctic blast will bring “life-threatening wind chills” to much of the country, the National Weather Service also warned on Wednesday.

“Cold of this magnitude could lead to frostbite on exposed skin within minutes, as well as hypothermia and death if exposure is prolonged,” the agency said, noting that wind chill alerts currently stretch from the US-Canadian border to the Texas Gulf Coast, including portions of at least 26 states.

Mr Tate said temperatures could plummet to -28.8 degrees Celsius across the Midwest and Great Lakes.

“Some places are expected to drop as low as minus 20 degrees (-28.8 degrees Celsius). And that’s not taking into account the wind that’s going to make it feel minus 60 (-51 degrees Celsius),” the meteorologist said.

The potential “bomb cyclone” will be a once-in-a-generation weather event, officials have said.

A bomb cyclone is a term used by meteorologists to describe a rapidly strengthening storm – typically when a storm system’s central pressure drops at least 24 millibars within 24 hours, Fox Weather explained.

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