The northeastern United States is steeling itself for an "epic" arctic blast that could see some areas record their lowest ever wind chill temperatures.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that parts of Maine state might see wind chills of -51C (-60F).

"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 in an advisory 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 are forecast to occur tonight into tomorrow morning, with wind chill warnings in place across much of New England.

Boston and surrounding areas are expected to receive a wind chill of -34C, while New York City is forecast to be -23 C, according to the NWS.

Warmer air is due to arrive on Sunday.

As the northeast prepared for the cold blast, Texas and parts of the south were dealing with the aftermath of a winter storm that brought days of freezing rain, sleet and ice accumulation, causing widespread power outages and dangerously slick roadways across the region.

Officials across the region urged motorists to stay off the roads after icy roadways across the region were blamed for eight deaths over the past several days, CBS News reported.

Around the state, Texans took to social media to post images of vehicles sliding sideways on slippery highways and ice-crusted tree limbs bending under the weight.