The BBC reported the following:

25 December 2022
More than one million Americans and Canadians are facing Christmas Day without power as a massive winter storm continues to pummel North America.
A bomb cyclone, when atmospheric pressure plummets, has brought snow, strong winds and freezing temperatures.
Nearly 250 million are affected, and at least 19 deaths have been linked to the storm that extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Quebec to Texas.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled …
The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C).
Near white-out conditions have been reported in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. In the city of Buffalo, New York state, the US National Weather Service (NWS) reported “zero mile” visibility.
In the Pacific Northwest, some residents ice-skated on frozen streets in Seattle and Portland.
Coastal flooding has been seen in America’s north-eastern New England region, inundating communities and downing power lines. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64088985

Voice of America added:

In hard-hit New York state, Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to Erie County and its main city, Buffalo, where authorities said emergency services were not functioning.
Late Saturday, the National Weather Service warned that blizzard conditions in the Great Lakes region caused by lake-effect snow would continue into Christmas Day, and that there would be “only slow moderation of temperatures into Monday.”
One couple in Buffalo, which sits across the border from Canada, told AFP that with the roads completely impassible, they would not be making a 10-minute drive to see their family for Christmas.
“It’s tough because the conditions are just so bad… a lot of fire departments aren’t even sending out trucks for calls,” said 40-year-old Rebecca Bortolin.
Her fiance, Ali Lawson, is having back pain but plans to tough it out at home because driving to the hospital is too dangerous.
“We can currently see across the street, but last night we couldn’t see past our porch,” Lawson said.
The “bomb cyclone” winter storm, one of the fiercest in decades, had already forced the cancellation of more than 3,300 U.S. flights Saturday and the delay of nearly 7,500 more, a day after nearly 6,000 were scrapped, according to tracking website Flightaware.com.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted Saturday that “the most extreme disruptions are behind us as airline and airport operations gradually recover” — words that travelers stranded at airports including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and New York were holding on to.
New York City resident Zack Cuyler, whose flight home to Houston on Thursday had been postponed then canceled twice this week already, was “pretty steamed” about the chaos.
The 35-year-old now hopes to reach his loved ones by Sunday. “I’m just glad I’ll get to see my family for Christmas,” he told AFP.
Road ice and whiteout conditions also led to the closure of some of the nation’s busiest transport routes, including the cross-country Interstate 70, parts of which were temporarily shut down in Colorado and Kansas.
The National Weather Service warned about lethal conditions and urged residents in affected areas to remain indoors. On Friday, it said wind chills had sent temperatures plunging to minus 48 degrees Celsius.
At one point during the day, nearly 1.7 million customers were without electricity in the biting cold, according to tracker poweroutage.us.
Though power had largely been restored by late Saturday, people were urged to conserve electricity and rolling blackouts were instituted in some parts of the country, including in North Carolina. …
Weather officials forecast that dangerously cold conditions would continue throughout the central and eastern United States over the weekend before temperatures returned to more normal weather next week.
Canadian authorities have also issued severe weather warnings. Hundreds of thousands were left without power in Ontario and Quebec provinces, while many flights were canceled in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
VIA Rail, Canada’s passenger service, said that all trains from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal would be suspended on Christmas due to a train derailment, while “extreme weather conditions” forced many other cancellations.
Flooding, fierce winds
In the US, transportation departments in several plains states reported near-zero visibility whiteouts, ice-covered roads and blizzard conditions, and strongly urged residents to stay home.
Drivers were being warned not to take to the roads — even as the nation reached what is usually its busiest time of year for travel.
Meteorologist Kelsey McEwen in Toronto tweeted that waves of up to 8 meters were reported in Lake Erie, while in Ohio’s Fairport Harbor, winds gusted to 120 kph, according to the NWS.
The NWS also warned against traveling in the current weather conditions.
“The life-threatening cold temperatures and in combination with dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that become stranded, individuals that work outside, livestock and domestic pets,” its advisory said. https://www.voanews.com/a/deadly-blizzard-leaves-us-in-christmas-weekend-deep-freeze-/6890749.html

This has been a massive snow storm.

While humans often seem to think otherwise, God is in charge and controls the weather. Notice the following from the old Worldwide Church of God:

The Bible makes plain who is in control of the weather! “Fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word” (Ps . 148:8 , RAV).
God intervenes in weather to work out his purposes among nations…
Plagues of disastrous weather are a warning to humanity. Weather for the most part operates according to natural laws. Damaging weather patterns sometimes develop. God simply may not choose to intervene to stop them because of nations’ various sins and idolatry.
The Bible reveals God also directly intervenes to cause weather plagues to warn certain nations. “I have smitten you with blasting and mildew . .. yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord” (Amos 4:9). He, in his great purpose, may also allow Satan-the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4)-to have a role in producing calamitous weather, for man’s ultimate learning (see Job, chapter 1). (Schroeder D. CHAOTIC WEATHER Return of the dust bowl? Plain Truth. 1984, pp. 19-20)

Scripture is clear that God controls the weather and sometimes provides extreme weather for correction. And that includes snowy weather.

Notice the following:

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; (Psalms 148:7-8)
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;… 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. (Job 37:5-6, 9-13)
22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war? (Job 38:22-23)

Snow is something that God controls.

The Bible repeatedly warns, especially in the Hebrew scriptures, that various sins will result in destructive weather (see Weather Blessings and Sorrows). Weather is not as random as most seem to want to believe.

Back in 2009, in a book, I mentioned the following was about to happen:

Considering all of the natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, food shortages, and economic problems in the past few years, perhaps this would be a good time to explain that the Bible shows that these problems were expected to occur prior to the great tribulation. Those outside the Bible have sometimes referred to a time such as this as a time of transition or chaos. …
There will be a generation that will experience end-time events, beginning with “sorrows,” including the Great Tribulation, heavenly signs, and finally the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:5-34). …
Mark recorded the same account of this time from his perspective:
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” 5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit…” (Mark 13:3–11).
Thus, in both Matthew and Mark it is clear that a time called “the beginning of sorrows” precedes the Great Tribulation.
Notice that in Mark’s account he uses the term troubles. Troubles would seem to include economic and political problems, in addition to those specifically mentioned, such as wars, famines, natural disasters, and pestilences. …
Odd weather patterns result in food shortages and natural disasters.Matthew 24:7The world is actually in a berserk transition, as the real age of peace is not yet here. It may be a period of chaos. It is the beginning of sorrows.Matthew 24:8
(Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009)

The above was published because it was consistent with Bible prophecy. We have been seeing odd weather patterns and some have been concerned about related food shortages.

Is the idea that God controls the weather and uses it to affect humans relatively new to Christianity?

No.

Back in the third century, Church of God bishop/pastor Theophilus of Antioch wrote:

He is God alone who made light out of darkness, and brought forth light from His treasures, and formed the chambers of the south wind, and the treasure-houses of the deep, and the bounds of the seas, and the treasuries of snows and hail-storms, collecting the waters in the storehouses of the deep, and the darkness in His treasures, and bringing forth the sweet, and desirable, and pleasant light out of His treasures; who causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: He makes lightnings for the rain; who sends forth His thunder to terrify, and foretells by the lightning the peal of the thunder (Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus, Book I, Chapter 6).

God has long used weather–and early Christians realized this.

So should modern ones.

Even though these current storms are NOT the ‘end of the world,’ extreme weather should be a wake-up call to repent.

The warnings from the Bible are going out, but many will ignore them.

Will you?

Related Items:

Does God use Weather?

Christians and the Environment

Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy

Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU?

Predestination and Your Selection

Real Repentance