By Brendan O’Brien

CHICAGO, (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of people and businesses lost power Friday due to a severe winter storm that dumped heavy snow and sleet across the middle of the United States. More dangerous weather was also forecast for parts of New England and the Plains.

Poweroutage.us reports that more than 370,000 people were without electricity in Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee, as well as Ohio and New York. This was after an ice storm on Thursday, which caused power lines to be downed and tree damage across the region.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water reported that over 130,000 customers had lost power and that it would take several days to restore their electricity.

The utility company stated on Twitter that “We are aware you’re anxious” and wanted to let you know when power would be restored. Before crews can restore power, debris must be removed.”

According to FlightAware flight tracking service FlightAware airlines cancelled nearly 3,000 flights Friday after having scrapped more than 5,000 on Thursday.

U.S. carriers experienced delays in operations before Christmas due to severe weather conditions and the Omicron coronavirus variation.

According to the National Weather Service, Wind Chill Warnings (NWS), were not lifted for Texas or the Great Plains. The forecast showed morning lows below zero Fahrenheit, with temperatures in the single-digits.

The NWS advised that hypothermia could be caused by cold wind chills if no precautions are taken.

Warnings and advisories for winter storms were still in place for Tennessee and Kentucky, New York and Pennsylvania, and New England. A mix of sleet or snow is expected to cause travel difficulties.

Boston is home to nearly 4.8million people. Forecasters foresaw 1 to 2 inches (3-5 cm) snowfall and accumulations of one to one quarter inch or less, making it dangerous to drive on the roads.

The winter storm will be gone by Saturday morning on the East Coast. However, bitterly cold temperatures are expected to persist with temperatures exceedingly low in the South Central United States.