America’s National Weather Service (NWS) warned that parts of Maine might see wind chills of -51°C.

“This is an epic, generational Arctic outbreak,” the NWS office in Caribou, near Maine’s border with Canada, wrote in an advisory.

It said the chills are “something northern and eastern Maine has not seen since similar outbreaks in 1982 and 1988”.

“Most stations are forecast to see their lowest wind chills in decades or, in some cases, the lowest ever recorded,” the service added.

It warned that frostbite to exposed skin can occur within five minutes in such conditions.

“The dangers of being caught unprepared without shelter from the elements and without proper winter survival gear cannot be stressed enough,” the service wrote.

The most extreme conditions were forecast to occur last night into this morning, with extreme weather warnings in effect across Quebec and much of eastern Canada.

In Montreal, the wind made the temperature feel like -41°C early yesterday afternoon.

The mercury was predicted to drop as low as -50°C in the northern regions of Quebec because of the strong, cold gusts.

White Arctic sea smoke rose over parts of the St Lawrence River due to extreme cold winds passing over the unfrozen water.

The Hydro-Quebec power company said it was preparing for a historic consumption of electricity overnight yesterday to today and called on users to reduce their use.

In the Canadian capital Ottawa, a snow squall – snowfall combined with 60kph to 70kph winds – overnight Thursday to yesterday reduced visibility to near zero.

On the streets downtown, the few residents who ventured out wrapped themselves in wool blankets atop their parkas.

Wind chill warnings were also in place across much of New England.

Boston, where public schools were closed yesterday, and surrounding areas are expected to receive a wind chill of -34°C.

Further south, New York City is forecast to be -23°C, according to the NWS.

Warmer air is due to move into the region early tomorrow.