Cold snap grips US as temperatures plunge to -29 °C

Temperatures have fell to -29°C in parts of the United States as a deadly cold snap of snow, sleet and freezing rain continued to grip the country.

Montana and South Dakota saw temperatures around -17C hit, while in the Midwest, temperatures plummeted to -29C° during the weekend.

Meteorologists have now warned that a storm system of snow and freezing temperatures that has hit the country's midsection is heading to the East coast. On the other hand, wind chill readings could drop as low as -46°C in northwestern Minnesota.

Four people have died of hypothermia in the California while one person died in North Texas after a pick-up went off an icy bridge. Six more traffic-related deaths due to weather and icy conditions have been recorded in various states across the US.

Icy conditions were expected to last through the weekend from Texas to Ohio to Tennessee, and Virginia officials warned residents of a major ice storm likely to take shape on Sunday, resulting in power outages and hazardous road conditions. Weather forecasters said the powerful weather system has Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic states in its sights next.

Some 400 departing flights from Dallas, Fort Worth International Airport were cancelled on Saturday morning, the airport said. 

About 3,330 passengers stayed overnight in the terminals.

More than 100,000 customers in the Dallas area were without power on Saturday, with about 7,000 in Oklahoma and thousands more in other states.