Emergency crews in Mississippi worked tirelessly through the night and into Wednesday morning to rescue vehicles stranded on icy interstate highways, as the eastern U.S. braced for what could be the longest stretch of freezing temperatures in decades, according to weather predictions.

In a social media update, Governor Tate Reeves shared that tow trucks and drones were deployed to assist drivers caught in traffic jams on Interstate 55 in northern Mississippi, as well as other critical roadways. On Wednesday morning, he emphasized that crews were still on the job and advised residents to avoid travel if possible.

“Please keep our first responders in your thoughts, as they exemplify the Mississippi spirit by going above and beyond for others,” Reeves posted on X.

Much of the eastern United States continued to deal with the aftermath of freezing conditions, following a weekend storm that brought snow and ice from the Northeast to parts of the South.

The website poweroutage.us reported that more than 380,000 homes and businesses, mainly in Mississippi and Tennessee, were still facing power outages. Tragically, the severe cold has claimed at least 50 lives across the affected states.

The toll includes three Texas brothers — ages 6, 8 and 9 — who perished after falling through the frozen surface of a pond in Texas. Another child, a toddler, died at a Virginia hospital after being pulled from a frigid pond Monday, according to local police.

Temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast were forecast to remain well below freezing throughout the day Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Residents still shivering in the South were getting little relief. In Nashville, Tennessee, where nearly 100,000 power outages lingered early Wednesday, high temperatures were to rise just above freezing before plunging to 13 F (minus 10 C) overnight.

Forecasters predicted even colder weather for much of the U.S. this weekend. A new blast of arctic air is expected Friday and Saturday from the northern Plains to the Southeast. The weather service said the prolonged freeze “could be the longest duration of cold in several decades.”

Forecasters said there’s an increasing chance of heavy snow this weekend in the Carolinas and parts of Virginia, with more snowfall possible from Georgia to Maine.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.