Horses pull SUV out of a ditch in snowy Tennessee amid deadly weather

An SUV trapped in a snowy Tennessee ditch was rescued by two horses and their Amish owners as bone-chilling temperatures caused havoc across the US.

The Arctic conditions have already killed 40 people across nine states including Tennessee since Friday.

Fatalities were also reported in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The northwest was struck by freezing rain which knocked out power to more than 85,000 Oregon homes on Wednesday and shut down schools, many of which remain closed.

Forecasters warned there are yet more deadly storms on the way with 66 million Americans currently under alerts for extreme weather.

The treacherous conditions have already claimed dozens of lives, most notably in Tennessee where wind chill dipped temperatures to -2F earlier this week. So far, 14 weather-related fatalities have been recorded in the state.

In Ethridge, the icy conditions led to one driver becoming stuck so badly in the snow they required help from a local Amish community who used their horses to help extract the stricken vehicle.

Video shows the moment the white SUV is hooked up to the animals. The horses can be seen struggling to maintain their footing on the icy ground before they eventually successfully yank it free.

In neighboring Alabama, drone footage showed the state blanketed in 7.5 inches of snow. The frosty conditions led two friends to repurpose their canoe into a makeshift sled before filming themselves skating along the frozen ground.

Parts of the state are currently under a wind chill warning for sub-zero temperatures as low as -14F. Officials warned that crops are likely to die and pipes could freeze in central parts of the state where the alert is in place. 

Meanwhile in Texas, the mercury dropped so low that fountains became dazzling ice sculptures. Another hard freeze is expected over the weekend amid gusty winds.

Now the northeast is also set to shiver, with a barrage of snow forecast to sweep in over the next two days. 

An icy blast is due to blow in over north-central US on Thursday night before snowfall begins in the mid-Atlantic and sweeps east. 

Forecasters expect up to five inches in Philadelphia, with four in New York and two in Boston by Saturday. 

The Big Apple was also subject to a Code Blue alert as temperatures plunged below 32F. Officials were urging homeless people to seek shelter at outreach programs amid the biting cold.

Meanwhile up state up to 14 inches could fall by Friday thanks to lake-effect snow already affecting the Interstate-90 corridor.

Chicagoans could face travel chaos with the city set to endure up to four inches Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning rush hour.

Meanwhile, there is more misery on the way for Tennessee in the form of freezing rain due to lash Memphis and Nashville. Officials are warning of slick roads caused by deadly black ice.

In the northwest, emergency services remain on high alert after high winds downed trees and power cables including on the Lake Oswego home of an elderly man who later died from his injuries. 

The city declared a state of emergency on Saturday night amid the deadly conditions.

Three people were also killed after a power line fell onto a vehicle, authorities in Portland said. 

Winter storm warnings were in place Thursday over the Cascades and northern Rockies with up to three feet of snow forecast.

Forecasters warned up to two feet could accumulate at  higher elevations in northern parts of Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Beyond that there is a risk of flash flooding due to a deluge of rain heading in over ‘very saturated’ ground, according to the National Weather Service.