Recent snow storms that swept the nation mid January, along with Omicron case spikes, has led the American Red Cross to declaring a national blood crisis with low-level supplies.

The Red Cross on Monday said the limited blood supply is the lowest it has been in more than a decade. A report from the non-profit humanitarian organization announced that over 170 blood drives across the country faced cancellations, resulting in a loss of about 5,000 blood and platelet donations.

Blood donors are being advised to schedule an appointment at any available blood drives unaffected by terrible weather conditions. The Red Cross expects more winter storms in the coming weeks.

A spike in COVID cases has caused many to cancel their blood donation appointments as well, despite January being National Blood Donors month.

Red Cross reminds donors that they are not required to be vaccinated in order to donate blood. For fully vaccinated donors, be prepared to verify which dosage of COVID-19 vaccines you received to determine eligibility.

Annually, the organization sees up to 16 million blood transfusions and collects nearly 45,000 units daily. A lack of blood donations can put many at risk for receiving appropriate medical services.

Healthline reported on Jan. 15 that Jessica Merrill, director of biomedical communications for the American Red Cross, said “blood levels have been historically low for nearly 4 months now.”

As an incentive to increase blood donor visibility, the Red Cross and the NFL have partnered to offer donors a chance to win a getaway to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. Additionally, every donor will be automatically entered to win a home theater and a $500 e-gift card from the Red Cross.

Anyone who schedules a blood donation between Jan. 1 to Jan. 31 will be entered.