A man photographs the Korean War Veterans Memorial after a heavy snow storm in Washington January 3, 2014. A heavy snowstorm and dangerously cold conditions gripped the northeastern United States on Friday, delaying flights, paralyzing road travel and clo
A man photographs the Korean War Veterans Memorial after a heavy snow storm in Washington January 3, 2014. A heavy snowstorm and dangerously cold conditions gripped the northeastern United States on Friday, delaying flights, paralyzing road travel and closing schools and government offices across the region. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

Canada's cloaked in a massive, deep and bitter cold weather conditions that has frozen everything it has touched with. It has disrupted flight plans of major airliners, prompted school bus service cancellations and yielded power outages. The prevailing weather condition is likewise threatening oil drilling and fracking operations.

A man photographs the Korean War Veterans Memorial after a heavy snow storm in Washington January 3, 2014. A heavy snowstorm and dangerously cold conditions gripped the northeastern United States on Friday, delaying flights, paralyzing road travel and closing schools and government offices across the region. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

On Monday, school bus services were cancelled in Caledon, Simcoe and Dufferin counties. The Durham District and Catholic School Boards likewise cancelled buses north of Highway 7.

At least 60 flights at Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport have been affected by the teeth-cracking cold, getting either delayed or cancelled. At Toronto's international airport, one in 10 flights were likewise cancelled. Some 24,000 power outages have occurred all across Quebec.

Birds gather on the partially frozen Charles River in front of the Boston skyline during winter in Cambridge, Massachusetts January 6, 2014. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Dave Phillips, Environment Canada senior climatologist, told the Globe and Mail it was mayhem outside.

"It was a lexicon of winter misery being played out today," he said. "Pick your misery. The weather gods are out to punish you."

Canada and parts of the U.S. are currently enveloped in record-breaking low temperatures brought by a blast of arctic air that is blowing across North America.

The winter storm has covered areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to at least 2ft (60cm) of snow.

A woman walks through a gust of blowing snow in frigid cold temperatures during winter in downtown Chicago, Illinois, January 6, 2014. A blast of Arctic air gripped the mid-section of the U.S. on Monday, bringing the coldest temperatures in two decades, forcing businesses and schools to close and causing widespread airline delays and hazardous driving conditions. Meteorologists said temperatures were dangerously cold and life-threatening in some places, with 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius) recorded in Chicago. REUTERS/Jim Young

Environment Canada strongly warned against going outdoors. If it can be prevented, it would be best to just stay indoors.

"Extreme caution is advised for people heading outdoors," the government agency said. "Exposed skin may freeze in less than 5 minutes."

Not only that, hundreds of car accidents in central Ontario and Quebec provinces have occurred, due to slick roads and the fierce winds.

A person walks past a snow covered bus shelter in downtown Chicago, Illinois January 6, 2014. A blast of Arctic air gripped the mid-section of the United States on Monday, bringing the coldest temperatures in two decades. Meteorologists said temperatures were dangerously cold and life-threatening in some places, with 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius) recorded in Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis. The chill was set to bear down on eastern and southern states as the day wore on. REUTERS/Jim Young

The bitter winter storm and the resulting deep cold has claimed at least 16 lives.

Mr Phillips said some parts of Canada may experience getting deluded with as much as 23in of snow in just the next few days.

"The coldest weather in years will be making its presence known from the Upper Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic region for the beginning of the work week," the US National Weather Service said in a statement.

Environment Canada forecast temperatures to continue to fall on Monday, possibly hitting -23°C overnight.

A man clears snow from his car in Indianapolis, Indiana January 6, 2014. A blast of Arctic air gripped the vast middle of the United States on Monday, bringing the coldest temperatures felt in two decades, causing at least four deaths, forcing businesses and schools to close and canceling thousands of flights. REUTERS/Nate Chute