Forty-million people along the U.S. East Coast are bracing themselves for what weather forecasters are calling a "bomb cyclone" - a massive winter storm blowing through the Atlantic Ocean.
The brutal winter weather has already brought snow to the southeastern United States, which is not used to dealing with wintry conditions.
The approaching storm could dump more than 20 centimeters of snow on Boston, Massachusetts where schools are closed Thursday.
"Our prime focus will be cleaning sidewalks and main arteries, roadways and responding to public safety requests... and responding to people who call in... as we move forward I'm asking people to be patient, " Boston mayor, Marty Walsh said.
The frigid conditions already gripping a large swath of the United States will get a jolt from the storm, which is expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the New England coast and into Canada.
Forecasters say much of the country can expect another wave of dangerously-cold weather later this week before temperatures moderate.