UNITED STATES - A massive winter storm warning went out this morning, as heavy snow and howling winds not only grounded flights but left many Southern states at sub-freezing temperatures.

Major highways have been closed and thousands of flights have been canceled as a cold front sweeps down from the Arctic. According to a report from Phsy.org, temperatures have plunged below -40 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations. A staggering 240 million people—roughly 72 percent of the U.S. population—are under winter weather warnings or advisories, as the National Weather Service reported.

"Winter weather hazards remain in effect from the Canadian border south to the Rio Grande (border river with Mexico), Gulf Coast, and central Florida Peninsula while spanning from the Pacific Northwest to the Eastern Seaboard," the NWS said in a report earlier this morning.

The biting cold is a concern for many reasons. Not only are transportation departments urging people to remain off the roads, the temperatures have gotten to a point where frostbite has become a strong concern.

Generally temperate states like Florida and Texas are even feeling the chill, not to mention the swatch of Midwestern states currently facing freezing temps and power outages.

No word yet on how these conditions are affecting crops. We wish everyone a safe holiday weekend, and we’ll continue to keep our eyes open for any potential updates.