Historic fishing cabins that had stood the test of time for at least 200 years were no match for the brutal winter weather that the latest winter storm unleashed on Maine on Saturday.
The weather system brought record flooding and strong winds to the coast and caused iconic fishing huts that had stood for centuries to be washed into the Atlantic as the highest tide of the season swept along the coast.
The fishing huts at Fisherman's Point in Portland stood no chance against the elements, which showed no mercy when the tide swept them out to sea around midday on Saturday.
Maine was already experiencing severe weather as a winter storm moved through, bringing record-breaking flooding and strong winds along the mantle.
It saw iconic fishing huts that had stood for more than 200 years washed into the Atlantic as the highest tide of the season swept along the coast
The cabins at Fisherman's Point in Portland stood no chance against the elements, which showed no mercy at high tide and washed them away around noon Saturday
The weather in Maine was part of a spate of winter storms of one kind or another that swept the U.S. on Saturday, as a wave of cool Arctic air threatened to break low-temperature records across the interior.
The cold began to spread from coast to coast as everything from football playoffs to presidential campaigns turned cold.
As the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend began, the weather forecast was a mix of winter.
Everything from an ice storm warning in Oregon to a blizzard warning in the Northern Plains to high wind warnings in New Mexico.
Heavy rain is expected to sweep across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with temperatures extending as far south as the panhandles of Texas and Florida.
Snow, ice and freezing temperatures are expected to stretch across much of the country from the Rocky Mountains to the south and east, bringing in fresh Arctic air.
Whiteout conditions and freezing weather have already occurred in the Pacific Northwest due to this eastward-shifted weather system.
The cold has begun to spread from coast to coast as everything from football playoffs to the presidential campaign is chilly
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for much of the West, with more forecasts of snow, ice, gusty winds and bitterly cold temperatures
The south and east will be the focus of the Arctic blast over the coming days and early next week, with significant amounts of snow forecast
Reports from Portland, Oregon said 2 to 5 inches of snow fell Saturday, accompanied by winds of up to 45 miles per hour.
Heading east, 20 to 30 centimeters of additional snow is expected in Salt Lake City for the remainder of the weekend.
Significant snow accumulation is likely in Salt Lake City, Boise, Idaho, and Aspen, Colorado on Sunday.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for much of the West, with more forecasts of snow, ice, gusty winds and bitterly cold temperatures.
But it is the south and east that will be at the center of the Arctic blast in the coming days and early next week, with significant amounts of snow predicted.
Winter storm watches and warnings have been issued from eastern Oklahoma to Tennessee and southwest Virginia, including cities such as Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee; and Jackson, Mississippi.
Winter weather warnings have been issued for north and central Texas, eastern Oklahoma and parts of Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, where slippery roads are expected due to adverse weather conditions.
It was good weather for ducks and geese swimming here in Edgewater, New Jersey
Several areas across the Garden State were inundated by coastal flooding following Friday night's rains
Emergency crews responded to Edgewater, where floodwaters left cars stranded and residents unable to evacuate buildings in the area
After the storm, the cars broke down and the drivers could not reach them
Ducks are seen swimming between cars in a parking lot in New Jersey, with the New York City skyline visible in the background
The storm is expected to bring up to three feet of snow to parts of Michigan and upstate New York, with heavy rainfall in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and even a rare chance of temperatures falling below in Florida's Panhandle are at freezing point.
Low temperatures could reach as far south as the Texas Panhandle, with temperatures around 20 degrees along the northern Gulf Coast, from East Texas to the Florida panhandle, the Weather Channel reports.
“Overall, it was a terrible, terrible winter.” And it came out of nowhere — for two days,” Dan Abinana said as he surveyed snowy Des Moines, Iowa. He moved to the state from Tanzania years ago as a child, but said, “You never get used to the snow.”
In Portland, Oregon, medical examiners were investigating a hypothermia death as freezing rain and heavy snow fell in a city more accustomed to mild winter rains, sending hundreds of people sheltering in warming centers overnight.
Portland Fire and Rescue also reported the death of a woman in her early 30s Saturday afternoon.
Chico Bunch of the Oregon Department of Forestry uses a chainsaw to cut a fallen tree into smaller pieces after it fell on a car and a home in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday
Annie Greenberg walks along a snow-covered street in Eugene, Oregon, on her way to the pharmacy after an ice storm hit the Willamette Valley on Saturday
Eugene Water and Electric Board line crews respond to a power outage near the Hayden Bridge in Springfield, Oregon, during a winter storm on Saturday
People rest at the Friendly House, which opened Saturday in Portland, Oregon, as an emergency warming shelter
Brian Elsey of Portland, Oregon, cleans his boss's car before heading home on Saturday
Wind blows snow across the SW Pacific Highway in Portland, Oregon on Saturday
People walk in the snow on SE Belmont Street in Portland, Oregon on Saturday
A woman walks through the snow in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday
Snow surrounds a tent on SE Grand Avenue in Portland, Oregon
A mobile home caught fire when a small group of people were using an open flame stove to keep warm and a tree fell on the vehicle, causing the fire to spread.
Three other people escaped, including one with minor injuries, but the woman was trapped inside, the fire department said.
Weather-related deaths were also reported earlier this week in California, Idaho, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen declared a state of emergency, citing “very dangerous conditions.” Some areas received up to 60cm of snow last week and wind temperatures were well below zero.
“This event will not go away tonight.” “It will not go away tomorrow,” Pillen said at a news conference. “It will take a few days.”
About 1,700 miles of Nebraska highways were closed. State police helped more than 400 stranded motorists, said Col. John A. Bolduc, head of the Nebraska State Patrol.
Vicki Kramer, director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, points to a map of the state's roads and current closures as she speaks during a news conference Saturday. Nebraska Governor Pillen declared a state of emergency due to the extreme winter weather
A crashed semi-truck sits abandoned on Interstate 80 in central Iowa on Saturday
An American flag is attached to a farm fence along U.S. Highway 20 during a snowstorm near Galva, Iowa, on Saturday
A crashed semi-truck sits abandoned on Interstate 80 in central Iowa on Saturday
A snowy U.S. Highway 20 is seen during a snowstorm near Galva, Iowa, Saturday
A car is buried in snow during a snowstorm in the East Village neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa
In Iowa, cars were stuck in blowing snow on Interstate 80 for five hours after semi-trailers swerved in slippery conditions.
State troopers had responded to 86 crashes and 535 calls for help from motorists since Friday, State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said.
Road crews worked “like crazy with the snowblowers,” Dinkla said, but strong winds blew the snow right back onto the roads.
Governors from New York to Louisiana warned residents to prepare for worrisome weather.