Snow, ice and bitter cold grips US from the Midwest to East Coast

Several US states have closed schools and government offices.

Snow, ice, strong winds and plunging temperatures in the US have led to dangerous travel conditions from central and southern states all the way to the East Coast.

Schools and government offices in several states have closed as a result.

Snow and ice blanketed major roads across Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists. At least 8in of snow was expected, along with gusting winds reaching 45mph.

A person dusts snow off a car — People have been urged not to travel in several areas (AP)

“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the service said.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the US, Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and plunges south.

Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.

School closures are expected to be widespread on Monday. Districts in Indiana, Virginia and Kentucky began announcing cancellations and delays on Sunday afternoon. Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools cancelled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics for its nearly 100,000 pupils.

Classes also have been cancelled in Maryland, where Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Sunday and announced the state government would be closed on Monday.

“Keeping Marylanders safe is our top priority. Please stay off the roads during this storm. Prepare your home and family and charge your communications devices in case you lose power,” Mr Moore said.

Over the weekend, at least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri, authorities said. Hundreds of car accidents were reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his patrol car was hit.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency, said government buildings would be closed on Monday.

Workers clear snow from a walkway — St Louis was one of several cities to experience heavy snowfall (AP)

In Indiana, snow fully covered portions of major road routes, including Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and US Route 41, prompting Indiana State Police to plead with motorists to stay off the roads as ploughs worked to keep up.

Roughly 10in of snow fell in Kansas, with eventual totals predicted to top 14in for parts of that state and northern Missouri.

In Kentucky, Louisville recorded 7.7in of snow on Sunday, a new record for the date that shattered the previous mark of 3in set in 1910.

A group of cyclists make way through downtown Wichita — Conditions were expected to remain difficult throughout Monday (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)

The storms caused havoc for the nation’s passenger railways with more than 20 cancellations on Sunday and about 40 planned on Monday.

Nearly 200 flights in and out of St Louis Lambert International Airport were cancelled, according to tracking platform FlightAware.

Starting on Monday, the eastern two-thirds of the US will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25C below normal.

The north-eastern states are more likely to experience several days of cold after a mostly mild start to winter, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Palmer in Gray, Maine.

The cold air likely will grip the eastern US as far south as Georgia with parts of the East Coast experiencing single-digit lows.