The monster storm, which has already claimed lives across the U.S., continued to make its presence felt across the Northern Plains and upper Midwest on Thursday, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain and gusty winds, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and hundreds of flights stranded on of land, Reuters reports.

Much of the northern United States – from Washington state to New England – remained under severe winter weather warnings. Meanwhile, parts of the Ohio Valley and the South could experience near-record high temperatures starting Thursday and continuing through the next few days. On Sunday, Jacksonville, Florida is expected to reach 31 degrees Celsius, News.ro cites.

Throughout Thursday, another 46 cm of snow, winds of 80 km/h and temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius are expected in places in the north, the National Meteorological Service said.

Strong winds and freezing rain left nearly 900,000 homes and businesses without power Thursday morning in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and New York, according to Poweroutage.us.

A firefighter has died near the flood-hit city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in an incident with an ice-snapped power line, local authorities said on Twitter.

More than 1,300 flights across the country were delayed or canceled due to the storm, according to Flightware.com, and authorities warned that drivers would face dangerous road conditions.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, home to the University of Michigan, nearly 20,000 homes and businesses were without power. Classes at the university were not canceled, but students were advised to be careful.

A separate storm caused unusual weather in California, where much of the state was warned of strong winds and thunderstorms. Wintry conditions were reported in San Francisco, while blizzards are expected at higher elevations – even in the Los Angeles area. Up to 8 feet of snow could accumulate on Baldy Mountain, about 45 miles east of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains, by Saturday.

Experts say the increased frequency and intensity of these storms, which alternate with extreme heat waves and periods of drought, are symptoms of climate change. According to the weather service, while the east coast had a relatively mild winter, the northern plains had an extreme winter in terms of snowfall and cold temperatures.

It was snowing heavily Thursday morning in Minneapolis, where a significant layer of snow is already settling. Videos and photos on social media show cars stuck on roads and streets and sidewalks covered in Trojans. More than 29,000 students were online by the end of the week, and dozens of school districts canceled classes in North and South Dakota, Colorado, Michigan and Wyoming.

Forecasters say the storm is expected to weaken throughout Thursday. (News.ro)