A massive winter storm is currently hitting most parts of the United States, with extreme weather – including heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures – impacting vast swathes of the nation. At least 18 U.S. states have declared a state of emergency, and around 170 million people are under extreme weather alerts.

The storm is expected to span more than 3,000 kilometers across the U.S., potentially ranking among the largest winter storms in the country in years. Subsequent frigid air may push temperatures down to around minus 46 degrees Celsius in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota. In response, federal government offices in Washington D.C. will be closed on January 26, and multiple educational institutions, including the University of Mississippi and Elizabethtown College, have issued class cancellation notices.