CNN
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Hundreds of thousands of Americans are waking up in the dark to unlit trees on Christmas Eve, after destructive winds and heavy snow from a winter storm tore down power lines and threatened drivers across the country, killing at least 11 people in its path.
As bone-chilling temperatures continue to grip the United States this weekend, the unrelenting storm is battering the Midwest and parts of the East with heavy snow, blizzards and even flooding along the Northeast coast. No break is in sight until the end of Christmas Day.
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At least 11 people have died since Wednesday in four states, a result of how dangerous and life-threatening conditions have been this week across much of the country.
Three people died in separate car crashes in north central Kansas on Wednesday, Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Candice Breshears. All three deaths are confirmed to have been weather-related, Breshears noted.
In Kansas City, Missouri, a person died after losing control of their vehicle on icy roads Thursday afternoon, according to the Kansas City Police Department. The vehicle “went down the embankment, over the cement wall and landed upside down” in a creek, The police say so in a statement.
Four people died in car crashes in Ohio, where others were also injured, Gov. Mike DeWine said.
Kentucky reported three deaths caused by the storm: Two in car accidents and another was a person who was homeless in Louisville, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The man’s body was found outside with no obvious signs of trauma – an autopsy is required to determine the cause of death, police said.

For days, forecasters and officials have sounded the alarm about the grim conditions the storm promised to bring, while urging drivers to stay off icy, snow-covered roads and other travelers to alter vacation plans for optimal safety.
“Remember that your loved ones care more about having you alive and that next Christmas than whether you can make this one,” Beshear told CNN Friday.
“People need to stay off the roads. … Being together is more important than ever, but being safe is even more important than that,” Beshear added.
The ominous warning comes as the storm continues to ease with blizzard conditions from the Great Lakes and Interior Northeast, bringing the dual threat of heavy snow and high winds.
Hundreds of drivers in several states, including New York, South Dakota and Minnesota were stranded this week and needed rescue. Some states have closed major highways to discourage drivers from getting behind the wheel. In addition, more than 5,000 flights were canceled on Friday and more than 10,000 were delayed.
To make matters worse, even if the snowfall stops or slows, blackout conditions are likely as winds are forecast near or in excess of 60 mph, resulting in damage and more power outages.
“If you lose power, it’s going to be dangerously cold,” said Jackie Bray, the commissioner of New York’s Homeland Security and Emergency Services, adding that people should seek warming shelters from some counties. “Please don’t assume you can handle this cold overnight without heat. You might not.”
So far, hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are without power, according to PowerOutage.US, meaning millions of residents unlikely to have proper heating or hot water as extremely cold temperatures persist Saturday.
New Hampshire, New York and Virginia each have more than 50,000 outages as of early Saturday, while more than 240,000 outages are being reported in Maine, the website shows.
In pictures: Winter storm affects the United States
Here’s what else you can expect this Christmas Eve:
- The cold is coming for many: More than 175 million people are under wind chill warnings from much of the central and eastern United States. “The life-threatening cold temperatures and dangerous wind chill will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for stranded travelers,” the National Weather Service said.
- Record temperatures in the south: Atlanta and Tallahassee, Fla., are expected to have their coldest high on record on Dec. 24, according to the weather service.
- Brutal cold elsewhere: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will also see their coldest Christmas Eve day ever on Saturday. Washington, DC, could see its second coldest Christmas Eve, the first being 1989. New York will experience its coldest Christmas Eve since 1906. Chicago expects temperatures to return above freezing but will still experience its coldest Christmas Eve since 1906. 1983.
- Flood threat remains: Both coastal and inland flooding risks are expected in the northeast from heavy rain falling on top of a melting snowpack. Moderate to isolated major coastal flooding is possible due to strong onshore winds.