At least 70 deaths in the US are linked to severe winter weather

At least 70 people in the United States have died from weather-related causes after more than a week of frigid winter storms and brutally cold temperatures, according to reports from state officials, law enforcement, medical examiners and news media.

The numbers are likely to rise as authorities scramble to tally the death toll from the bitter cold, frozen roads and high winds, especially in parts of the country unaccustomed to extended periods of deep freeze.

A man died Monday in Tennessee after falling through a skylight while clearing snow from the roof of a business. On Tuesday, five women from the same family were killed in a tractor-trailer collision in Pennsylvania shortly after they gathered on the side of a snowy highway following a separate accident. And on Wednesday in Oregon, a tree branch weakened by wind and ice downed a power line, killing two adults and a teenager.

Tennessee suffered a particularly high number of fatalities. At least 25 people appear to have died there from weather-related causes, including hypothermia, falls and traffic accidents, according to state health officials. And in Oregon, at least 11 people have reportedly died from weather-related causes, including the three killed by the power line. Both states declared states of emergency last week, as did Kentucky, where at least five people died during the cold snap.

“Everyone, please take time today to check on your family, friends and coworkers and make sure they have what they need to stay safe and warm,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement Friday.

Traffic accidents – often caused by cars spinning out of control on icy, snowy roads – are among the most common causes of death during cold snaps. Hypothermia is another threat, especially for people without access to shelter or warmth. And broken power lines can increase the risk of fire or electrocution.

But the number of fatalities in cold weather is difficult to count. The causes of death vary widely, and it may take some time for authorities to determine the exact circumstances of a traffic accident, heart attack or fall.

“It's very difficult to put together this kind of information because there's a lot of uncertainty,” said Alan W. Black, a climate and extreme weather expert at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

“There is still a lot of research to be done to understand the exact impact of winter weather in the US,” he added, “and I think it is an extremely important topic to explore because we simply don't know the impact. ”

The weather across the country remained cold on Sunday, with a low of 3 degrees in Nashville. Parts of Texas had temperatures in the low 30s on Sunday, and Chicago and Milwaukee saw temperatures in the teens.

But the freeze promises to break from Monday. Temperatures are expected to rise across the country, reaching above-average levels in many places, said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in Maryland.

Instead of cold and snow, heavy rain could fall in many areas, including eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, which includes Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. Wet weather conditions will also prevail on the west coast. California is expecting heavy rain and snow in the Sierra Nevadas.

People tend to underestimate the risks of extreme temperatures, says James Marshall Shepherd, a weather and climate expert at the University of Georgia. But cold snaps like the ones that swept the country this month are often deadlier than hurricanes, tornadoes and other relatively dramatic weather events.

People in the South may be particularly vulnerable to extreme weather, said Dr. Shepherd – especially in low-income areas and areas that are densely populated or not used to the cold.

During summer heat waves, which have become hotter than before, many people in the South feel at least somewhat acclimated, said Dr. Shepherd. But the decades-old infrastructure common in southern states is often ill-suited to the kind of icy weather much of the region has experienced over the past week. He added that many residents may not have the necessary resources — such as reliable heating or warm clothing — to stay safe.

“When everyone else gets a cold,” he added, “we get the flu.”