Winter storm in US and Canada: Plunging temperatures cause frostbite within five minutes of exposure

Owing to plummeting temperatures across the US and Canada, frostbite can develop on exposed skin in justfive to ten minutes, as observed by residents. Priorto the busiest travel days of the year, a strong Arctic winter storm has issued weekend weather alerts for more than 135 million people. The alerts cover the entire country from coast to coast and extend as far south as Florida and the US-Mexico border. As the storm gets worse, major airports have cancelled thousands of flights. Forecasters predict that the recent cold spell may bring about the iciest Christmas in decades.

By the end of this week, some areas of the country could experience temperatures between -70F and -50F, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Frostbite poses a serious threat, especially in major urban areas like Des Moines, Iowa, as cautioned.

The winter storm, according to meteorologists, might develop into a "bomb cyclone" by Friday.

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An explosive storm is referred to as a bomb cyclone if its central air pressure drops by at least 24 millibars in a 24-hour period and it increases quickly.

"This is not like a snow day, when you were a kid, this is serious stuff," President Joe Biden said in a White House briefing on Thursday.

In El Paso, Texas, where recently arrived undocumented migrants are tented out on city streets, the Arctic air mass is predicted to bring severe wind gusts and temperatures as low as 15F (-9.4C).

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From Colorado to Wyoming and further north in Minnesota, the storm is already striking devastation.

Along with the storm itself, there are concerns of power outages too; as a result, some service providers are already advising their clients to lower their thermostats.

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