Washington: Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina bore the brunt of the disruption, reporting the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights as heavy snowfall blanketed runways and access roads. Airport authorities deployed a workforce of around 300 personnel to clear snow and maintain operations amid hazardous conditions.

In Georgia, Atlanta International Airport announced the cancellation of over 600 flights, along with around 50 additional flights to and from the city, as the storm system intensified across the region.

The US weather service warned that an increasingly severe coastal depression is expected to bring heavy snowfall and strong winds to North and South Carolina. The system is also accompanied by a powerful surge of polar air, driving temperatures below zero in parts of South Florida.

Meanwhile, the cold snap has reached dangerous extremes further north, with temperatures in West Virginia reported to have dropped as low as minus 33 degrees, underscoring the severity of the winter weather gripping large swathes of the country.