Many people each new year hope to leave certain aspects of their lives in the previous year. With the transition into 2018, there was one thing that many people in the U.S. could not leave in 2017: the snow.

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The current cold snap has affected almost all 50 states, with 40 states under official winter alerts at some point. The cold snap is so severe, it nearly froze Niagara Falls, with many pictures surfacing of the freezing waters.

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Omaha, Nebraska, broke a record dating back nearly 130 years as temperatures fell to  minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit on some days, according to BBC. Temperatures in Aberdeen, South Dakota, dropped to  minus 33 degrees Fahrenheit, the lowest in nearly 100 years, according to BBC. Authorities are warning that high winds have the ability to plummet the temperatures even furthur, which can leave uncovered skin frostbitten in a matter of minutes, says the BBC.

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The U.S. National Weather Service tweeted, “Arctic air mass will bring a prolonged period of much-below-normal temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills to the central and eastern U.S. over the next week.”

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Several deaths have already been attributed to the cold weather. “In St. Louis, Missouri, a homeless man found in a rubbish bin apparently froze to death and another homeless man, Clyde Chester Parsons, 52, was found dead on a porch in Charleston, West Virginia,” stated the BBC. There have been at least six more deaths reported to date due to the cold weather.

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The cold snap is not expected to end just yet. It is predicted to worsen the National Health Service winter crisis for several more days, according to current weather standings from theguardian. The National Health Service said “freezing conditions” are expected to add to the difficulties facing hospitals, which have been struggling for weeks to keep up with a seasonal surge in demand.

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The New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square was partially held indoors due to the weather. This year’s celebration was the second-coldest on record, as it was only 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the city, according to The Washington Post. The celebration was less crowded than the city is used to, leaving some metal pens usually flooded with people nearly empty. On New Years Day, 90 percent of the country failed to make it above freezing, according to CNN.

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Some Behrend students, especially those used to the Erie weather, are prepared to take on the cold. Other students such as junior Computer Science student Jake Urbano, from Pittsburgh, are “excited to see what is to come and how the weather will affect me.” Behrend, with help from the lake effect, got over four feet of snow at its peak, as shown by the mounds of snow from the plows found on and around campus. It is advised that students take their time walking to class in order to prevent injury. Also, cars traveling up or down Jordan Road should not be forced to stop by students in order to prevent skidding that could lead to accidents and injuries.

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With the cold snap continuing, students are advised to layer up before heading out to their classes. Although it may take time for the snow to go away, it’s all part of the package for students attending Behrend.