Just like the lyrics of the old Christmas carol, the weather outside is frightful. Harsh winter weather is not loosening its grip on about two-thirds of the nation.

Blizzard conditions continue cripple some areas.

In Buffalo, New York, white-outs made driving treacherous and accidents turned parts of Interstate 190 into a parking lot.

According to the Weather Underground, another 5 to 9 inches of heavy and damp snow was expected to fall over northern New York.

In Michigan, strong winds downed power lines, and left thousands freezing as the temperatures dipped. Eastern Michigan could see heavy lake-effect snow on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes. While western parts of the Wolverine State were expecting an inch or two of additional snow on Friday.

The central U.S. Could start to warm as high pressure could bring cool and sunny skies to the Planes and the Mississippi River Valley. A clockwise flow of warmer air was expected to be pulled into the Northern and Central Plains.

Another storm is pounding California with heavy rains, threatening areas with mud and rock slides. That storm is expected to bring up to three inches of rain before it turns into snow and moves eastward.