Sixty million people from the northern Plains through the Southeast are under cold weather alerts this weekend and will face dangerously cold wind chills.

Washington state residents are bracing for possible mudslides and levee failures from floodwaters that are expected to be slow to recede.

An arctic air blast swept south from Canada, spreading into the northern United States. Meanwhile, residents of the Pacific Northwest braced for possible mudslides and levee failures as floodwaters slowly recede.

After thousands of residents in some Washington towns were evacuated, the federal government approved a request to seek emergency financial aid.

"The only clothes I got is just my pajamas," 7-year-old Jocelyn Rosas told CBS News' Carter Evans, as flooding devastated parts of Washington state.

Washington state is under a state of emergency from a barrage of torrential rain that's sent rivers flowing over their banks, caused mudslides to close highways and trapped people in floodwaters

While the torrential downpour caused by an atmospheric river has slowed down, rivers and waterways continue to rise and flood in the state.

Record flooding in Washington state has forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate after torrential rains this week.

A foot and a half of rain pushed the water levels of at least four rivers in Washington, including the Skagit River, to hit record highs, surpassing some of their previous records set over 35 years ago.