Cattle caught out on open range during a blizzard can and do die en masse. I recall seeing footage of hay being airlifted by helicopter to stranded herds in the past. Even a thunderstorm with large hail can kill quite a few. They’re hardy, tough animals but they’re not invincible. They can be rather lacking in instinct.
Go back and read up on the winter of 1886 to 1887 in Wyoming, Montana and eastern MT.
It was what inspired Charley Russell to write the postcard “Waiting for a Chinook” that launched his career.
Here in Wyoming, there have been winters that killed 10’s of thousands of sheep. Much of Johnson County smelled for months of rotting flesh come spring after one of these winters.