As the US struggles with a winter storm, temperatures have plummeted to -45C (-49F), thirteen people have been killed.

Over 200 million Americans, or around 60% of the US population, are currently under weather advisory or warning. The brutal cold is expected to last through Christmas weekend.

New York State of Emergency – Live Updates

These are the 13 weather-related deaths that have occurred so far

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Two people have died in car accidents in Kentucky.

* In Louisville, a homeless person was killed

Three people were killed in Oklahoma crashes. Two of them occurred as winds blow the drifting snow. Details of the third accident are not yet available.

Missouri driver died after losing control of his car on an icy road. He was driving down an embankment and over a cement wall, landing upside-down in a creek.

* Wisconsin: One person was killed when a pick-up truck crashed into another vehicle, before hitting a tractor-trailer unit that was parked on the shoulder.

* On Friday morning, a man was found dead in Memphis. Authorities have not provided any details but believe the death to be weather-related.

* Ohio: Four people were killed in an accident involving cars. This was confirmed by the governor, but there was no further information.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, three people died in separate car collisions Wednesday morning as the storm started. Drivers lost control on icy roads and lost control of their vehicles.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures have dropped across inland states: in Montana it was -45.6C (-50F), while in Iowa, Des Moines felt like -38C(-37F). It is possible to get frostbite in five minutes.

The Great Lakes region, which includes the lakes Superior, Michigan Huron, Erie and Ontario, is experiencing heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions. There are as high as 4ft of expected snow on the eastern side.

Gusty winds have blown down trees and power lines. Friday morning saw at least 1.4million homes and businesses without electricity, but this number was only 550,000 Friday evening.

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Biden: “This is serious stuff”

According to poweroutage.us website, Maine, Pennsylvania and Virginia were the most affected, followed by Tennessee and New York, Maryland and Connecticut.

On Friday, more than 5,000 flights to, from, and within the US were cancelled. There is an urgency to provide enough emergency shelters for people who are powerless or homeless.

It is also important to provide firewood for Native American tribes that live far away, such as the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota and the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

Frank Star Comes Out, Tribal President, described the efforts as “one hell of a fight so far”.

Joe Biden, the US President, stated that this was not like a snowday when you were a child – it is serious stuff.

Canada is also under severe weather, with hundreds of flights being cancelled or delayed and thousands without power.

Kerry Schmidt, Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant, stated that police have received reports from up to 100 vehicles being involved in multiple collisions that closed down a major highway close to London, Ontario.