In the Midwest, the unofficial start to summer with barbecues seems a little far-fetched as people are still shoveling and having to clear snow off their grills before they even think about using them.
The same weather system that spawned tornadoes, deadly storms and water rescues in the central US continues to lash Texas with heavy rain as it crawls east early Friday, putting more than 15 million people at risk of severe thunderstorms from the South and Midwest to the Northeast.
Hundreds of flights were canceled in the United States Tuesday and 1,700 more delayed as a winter storm bringing heavy snow, winds and coastal flooding moved into the Northeast.
Much of the Northeast and New England so far has experienced an unusually quiet winter season (aside from areas around the Great Lakes). However, it is all changing this week.
Communities on the West Coast and in the Northeast are dealing with heavy snowfall, strong winds, power outages and dangerous road conditions from a series of storms lashing opposite sides of the US.
A brutal blast of dangerously cold winds is expected to sweep across the Northeast and New England on Friday, prompting officials to close schools and activate emergency plans as the region braces for record-breaking sub-zero temperatures.
