Temperatures in the U.S. are continuing to plunge. A ferocious storm piles snow on upstate New York, trapping residents in their homes for days. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Wednesday for the counties most affected by the weather. Cuomo said on Twitter that the state activated 526 plows, 74 large loaders, 1,247 operators, 17 large snow blowers and four truck-mounted snow blowers. The storm forced motorists in one hundred fifty vehicles to ride out the onslaught in their vehicles, including Niagara University’s women’s basketball team. Some got so thirsty they drank melted snow. The storm was blamed for at least seven deaths in New York, New Hampshire and Michigan. In New Hampshire icy roads led to accidents. Lake-effect storms in Michigan produced gale-force winds as much as 18 inches of snow. Several flights were canceled. Buffalo residents were caught off-guard as more than 4 feet fell in parts of the city. North of the city, there was a mere dusting of precipitation. In south parts, snow was everywhere. A man was found dead in his car buried under 12-15 feet of snow in Alden, which is east of Buffalo. Schools closed in North Carolina mountains amid blustery winds and ice-coated roads. A semitrailer hit a fire truck hurting three firefighters in Indiana. From Hawaii to the Carolinas, Americans shivered as racing winds and icy roads cased accidents, school closings and delays in municipal operations. The cold snap will bring lows in the single digits into Iowa, Kansas and Colorado this week. Also freezing temperatures as far as Texas.

Jeff Masters told the Associated Press that the low temperatures are January-like instead of what’s normal for November. He also said the temperatures were fifteen to thirty-five degrees below average due to the presence of arctic air. The Weather Channel reported that low temperatures were expected to spread and that relief would not come until the weekend. About two hundred million people will be affected by the severe cold, CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said.