A powerful winter storm continues its destructive path across the central and eastern United States, bringing heavy rain, snow, and dangerous coastal flooding to New England, blizzard conditions to the Midwest, and snowfall off the Great Lakes. Additionally, an onslaught of Arctic air follows closely behind the storm, spreading south and eastward through the central US. Here are the latest developments from the ongoing weather event.

Maine's coast experienced a historic storm surge on Saturday, with water levels reaching unprecedented heights. Coastal communities, already grappling with the aftermath of record-breaking surges earlier in the week, were further inundated as water levels rose in conjunction with heavy rain. In Portland alone, the water level surpassed 14 feet, surpassing Wednesday's water level of 13.84 feet as well as the previous record set in 1978.

The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, issued flash flood warnings as the rising water posed a dangerous situation. Portland police reported numerous road closures due to flooding, while coastal areas in New Hampshire also experienced road closures. The storm's strong winds, in combination with high tides, propelled water from the Atlantic Ocean towards the shore, intensifying the flooding. The weather service warned of major beach erosion and splash over along with the potential for moderate coastal flooding in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

In New York, the scheduled football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers had to be postponed due to the hazardous conditions caused by the storm. The game, originally slated for Sunday at 1 p.m., will now take place on Monday at 4:30 p.m. Blizzard conditions are expected in the Buffalo area off the Great Lakes, where heavy lake-effect snowfall is predicted to accumulate as much as three feet. Erie County, which includes Buffalo, has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the incoming storm and snow.

Millions of people across the United States remain under winter weather alerts as multiple storm systems and frigid temperatures continue to affect various regions. Iowa, in particular, faces "life-threatening" blizzard conditions, with the majority of the state under a blizzard warning. Strong winds gusting over 40 mph are causing existing snowfall to whip up, resulting in whiteout conditions and dangerous traveling circumstances. In Des Moines, this has become the snowiest week since 1942.

Power outages have been widespread across the Great Lakes region and the South as intense winds, severe thunderstorms, and heavy snow wreaked havoc on multiple states. As of midday, more than 185,000 utility customers in Michigan and over 90,000 in Wisconsin were without power.

Travel continues to be treacherous as the storm maintains blizzard conditions and other hazardous weather patterns. The Weather Prediction Center alerts of dangerous traveling conditions across the Corn Belt and the Great Lakes due to blowing snow and icing. In addition, the bitter cold is expected to bring record low temperatures, with over 240 daily cold temperature records potentially being tied or broken across the country.

As the storm progresses, temperatures are forecasted to plummet even further, with wind chills in parts of Montana reaching as low as -70 degrees. Parts of the Northern and Central Plains may experience sub-zero temperatures, dropping as low as -50 degrees. Over the next week, more than 55 million people will encounter temperatures below freezing.

The freezing cold weather is expected to extend into the southern parts of the United States. Louisiana and Arkansas are bracing for a new winter storm, with Louisiana's governor declaring a state of emergency set to begin on Sunday. Northern Louisiana will experience light snow and freezing rain, while Arkansas is preparing for temperatures approximately 20 to 30 degrees below normal. Wind chills in Arkansas may dip below zero and could reach as low as -20 degrees in the northern regions.

As the winter storm continues to unleash its fury, residents across the affected areas are urged to take necessary precautions and stay informed about weather updates.