Frigid temperatures and blistering winds continued to disrupt air travel for a third straight day as airlines scratched thousands of flights amid a brutal bout of winter weather.

As of 5:01 p.m. Eastern Time carriers had canceled nearly 2,700 flights into and out of the U.S. on Monday and delayed roughly 7,000 others, according to data from FlightAware shows. The arctic blast, which began Friday, caused thousands more flight cancellations and more than 16,000 delays over the weekend, according to the tracking service.

As of early Monday, 142 million people in the U.S. were under wind chill alerts, while 100 million had received winter weather alerts, according to CBS New senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson. The bitter cold and snow, which has shuttered schools, blocked roads and knocked out power in a number of states, is expected to taper off around midweek.

But before it recedes the storm could bring sub-zero temperatures to some southern states, while bone-chilling winds blowing from the Northern Rockies and into Iowa could plunge temperatures to a near-record low of around 30 degrees below zero in the Midwest, according to the National Weather Service. The freezing temperatures come as Iowa voters kick off the Republican presidential contest, raising concerns about voter turnout.