(CNN) — A major winter storm affecting much of the central and eastern United States is causing record-breaking temperature swings and harsh snow conditions that have resulted in flight cancellations, highway closures and several state emergency declarations.
The storm is affecting nearly every state, with more than 100 million people in the country currently on watch for winter weather and wind chills, in what the National Weather Service calls a “once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Children shovel snow from a sidewalk and driveway in Minneapolis on December 22. (Credit: Abbie Parr/AP)
Travelers arrive for their flights at O’Hare International Airport December 22 in Chicago. (Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images)
A person crosses the street after a lone motorist in Denver on December 22. (Credit: David Zalubowski/AP)
Ice builds up on a window in Oklahoma City on December 22. (Credit: Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network)
Miguel Salazar cleans sidewalks in Denver on December 22nd. (Credit: Hyoung Chang/Denver Post/Getty Images)
Cradles for those seeking shelter from the cold fill the walkways of the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday, December 21st. (Credit: David Zalubowski/AP)
An Iowa Department of Transportation plow clears a highway in Iowa City December 21. (Credit: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press Citizen/AP)
Greg Behrens tries to keep warm as he walks down a snow-covered sidewalk in Des Moines, Iowa on December 21. (Credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP)
Crews de-ice a Southwest Airlines plane before takeoff in Omaha, Nebraska, Dec. 21. (Credits: Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald/AP)
Travelers arrive at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. (Credit: Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP)
Propane heaters next to enclosures at the Mission City Animal Shelter in Mission, Texas on December 21. (Credit: Joel Martinez/The Monitor/AP)
Snow covers Seattle homes on Tuesday, December 20. (Credit: Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times/AP)
