An 'extreme cold warning' has been issued in more than 20 states as temperatures are expected to remain so low that it could be deadly to go outside in many areas. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) said a stretch of the US from Texas to New York will experience bone-chilling temperatures and even colder wind chills on Monday and into Tuesday following the weekend's historic winter storm.

Areas as far south as the Florida panhandle and southern Georgia will see morning wild chills reach the teens and single digits, with prolonged exposure to this cold potentially causing hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin within minutes.

States throughout the Gulf, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, will see wild chills drop to 10 degrees below zero, cold enough to cause frostbite in just 30 minutes.

In the Midwest, parts of Ohio, Nebraska, and Minnesota are expected to experience wind chills hit between 30 and 45 degrees below zero, which would potentially make stepping outside deadly in less than 20 minutes.

The deep freeze warning has impacted dozens of states affected by Winter Storm Fern, including Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

At least 16 people have died as a result of Winter Storm Fern, and meteorologists warned that widespread power outages could leave hundreds of thousands of Americans without heat for days as the extended cold snap sets in.

The historic winter event spanned over 2,000 miles, bringing over a foot of snow, ice storms, and sub-zero temperatures to more than 150 million people this weekend.

On Friday, meteorologist Ryan Hall told Daily Mail that a large stretch of the South and Midwest should expect to see extreme cold temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Fahrenheit for several days this week.

He added that for those who lose power, especially in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, this week's arctic blast could also make it deadly to stay inside unheated homes.

'We've got to make sure people know that they've got to find alternative ways to heat their house. And if they don't have that, then staying in their house is not a safe, viable option. We've got to really help people find shelters,' Hall said.

Hypothermia is a dangerous drop in your body's core temperature, usually caused by exposure to very cold conditions for too long without proper winter clothing.

Early symptoms include intense shivering, feeling very tired or confused, slurred speech, and struggling with movement and coordination.

Frostbite happens when skin and the tissue just under it freeze from extreme cold, most often affecting fingers, toes, nose, and ears if you leave them exposed on dangerously frigid days.

Initial signs include numb or tingly skin that turns white, pale, or grayish-yellow and may feel hard or waxy to the touch. 

'Dress in layers, including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside,' NWS advised on Monday.

NWS officials recommended that anyone living in affected areas of the country 'make frequent checks' on older relatives, friends, and neighbors who may be impacted by the cold.

Their tips also included making sure all pets are kept indoors for as long as possible. 

As for potential damage to homes and infrastructure, NWS noted that pipes can easily freeze during an extreme cold emergency. This can cause them to burst and damage property if they are still full of water.

To avoid this, any pipes exposed to the cold, including those outdoors or in unheated basements, should be wrapped, insulated, and drained of water.

Additionally, officials warned that extremely cold weather can also bring the deadly threat of fires breaking out in people's homes as Americans try to keep themselves warm.

Anyone using a portable heater has been urged to follow the instructions carefully to prevent them from setting blankets or other items on fire. NWS also warned against the use of generators and grills inside the home.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommended that Americans: 'Place space heaters on a solid, flat surface. Keep them at least three feet from things that can burn.'

A massive winter storm that lashed the United States over the weekend is expected to cost the country more than $100 billion after dumping a foot or more of snow on 17 different states and leaving at least 16 people dead. Winter Storm Fern battered the country starting on Friday, bringing rare snowfall to Texas and Oklahoma before it made its way east through Sunday night. 

The monster weather system has dumped a foot or more of snow in at least 17 states from New Mexico to New Hampshire, with the most recorded in Bonito Lake, New Mexico, which recorded 31 inches of slush, according to the National Weather Service. 

Further east, the highest totals were recorded in western Pennsylvania, where 20 inches had fallen as of early Monday morning. But it was also the largest snowstorm in Boston in nearly four years, delivering snowfall totals of a foot to two feet across much of the region. AccuWeather forecasters now say they expect the storm to cost the US between $105 billion to $115 billion - making it the costliest severe weather event since the Los Angeles wildfires last year.

That figure accounts for damage to homes and businesses, disruptions to commerce and supply chain logistics, tourism losses, impacts to shipping operations, financial losses from extended power outages, major travel delays and infrastructure damage. As of early Monday morning, nearly 830,000 people were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us, which monitors outages across the nation. 

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 A Kansas elementary school teacher has been found dead in the snow amid a massive winter storm that has spread throughout the country. Rebecca Rauber (pictured), 28, an elementary school teacher in Emporia, was found dead in a wooded area about 300 yards from where she was last seen on surveillance footage late Friday night as a tundra, named Winter Storm Fern, battered the United States.

 It brought more than a foot of snow to some parts of the country as temperatures plunged below freezing. Police now say they believe Rauber died of hypothermia, as she was fully covered in snow due to the heavy storm on Saturday that brought an estimated foot of slush. She was found dead with the help of a K9 officer, KWCH reports.

Police Chief Edward Owens said it was 'not the outcome that we had all hoped and prayed for, but our thoughts and prayers are with that family.' He added that he wishes 'we could have found her a little sooner.' 

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