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US weather: Arctic freeze 'life threatening'

6 January 2014 Last updated at 20:54 GMT

Parts of the US and Canada are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a blast of arctic air blows across North America.

A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow.

More than 3,600 flights were cancelled on Monday, on top of thousands grounded over the weekend.

Beth McLeod reports from Washington.