Vehicles submerged in the snow in Murdo, South Dakota (Reuters)

At least 15 people have died across the United States due to a winter storm that brought extreme cold, wind, and snow on Christmas Eve morning, CNN reported on Saturday.

Extreme cold kills around 15 people across the US, a CNN report revealed on Saturday.

A storm carrying heavy wind and snow that struck the country on Christmas eve warning has caused four people to get killed in car accidents in Ohio, three in each of Kentuck and Kansas.

While one individual was killed due to the storm in each Wisconsin, Missouri, and Tennessee.

In New York, two people died due to ambulances were unable to reach their houses as snow blocked the roads, the report added.

According to the PowerOutage service, more than 1.7 million US homes and businesses were left without electricity as the storm struck power lines, CNN said.

The storm damaged power lines and left over 1.7 million US households and businesses without power, the broadcaster said, citing the PowerOutage service.

In addition to the impact on land, more than 1,800 flights across the US were canceled, as airports in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and Detroit witnessed the toughest impact.

On Thursday, more than 22,000 flights were delayed, 5,500 were completely canceled, and many of them were at Chicago O'Hare or Denver, two major international airports.

The winter storm is expected to continue through Sunday in the Midwest and East areas, the report added.

Winter Storm in the #US!#WinterStorm #Elliott #blizzardwarning #MIwx #USA pic.twitter.com/eI5eDEokFM
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) December 23, 2022

The United States experienced travel mayhem on Thursday due to a "once-in-a-generation" winter storm that brought about temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

A massive cold front that came down from the Arctic and grabbed chilling hold of the middle of the country disrupted Christmas preparations during one of the busiest times of the year with heavy snow and howling winds.

100 million people were expected to use the roads but already blinding whiteouts and dangerous driving conditions were on the rise, as per the American Automobile Association.

Weather forecasters warned that it was so cold in some areas that going outside might result in frostbite within minutes for tens of millions of people.

"This is not like a snow day when you were a kid," President Joe Biden told reporters. "This is serious stuff."

Holiday travel traffic is anticipated to be close to pre-pandemic levels, with Thursday, three days before Christmas, being the busiest day.

The storm could quickly intensify into a "bomb cyclone", according to AccuWeather analysts, through a process known as "bombogenesis", which occurs when the barometric pressure lowers and a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass.