Polar vortex by the numbers: 6 states in US record temperatures lower than South Pole
By Kristina Pydynowski,
Records are being shattered and communities are enduring the harshest cold in years as the polar vortex tightens its grip on the midwestern United States.
After the polar vortex plunged southward, temperatures plummeted under 20 below zero F from North Dakota to northern Illinois on Wednesday morning.
Biting winds made the extreme cold more life-threatening as AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures dropped under 50 below zero. Frostbite can occur in mere minutes on exposed skin in these conditions.
Among the deaths from the snow and cold that struck the Midwest was a man found frozen to death in a garage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to the Associated Press.
The cold has also led to widespread school closures, major travel disruptions and even the suspension of mail service.
Chicago was among the many locations that shattered record lows on Wednesday morning, but it is the magnitude and persistence of the cold that is posing the greatest dangers to the millions of people and animals across the region.
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“An entire generation has gone without by without experiencing this type of cold in the Chicago area,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll.
The official low this morning at MSP was -28F. The last time it was -28F or colder at MSP was February 2, 1996. It was -32 that morning. #mnwx
— NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) January 30, 2019
Just chilling here at -34°F this morning #ndwx #mnwx #brr pic.twitter.com/pKekub3b6C
— NWS Grand Forks (@NWSGrandForks) January 30, 2019
Before the Arctic outbreak eases later this week, a large swath of the Midwest can endure one to three consecutive days of subzero temperatures.
Much to the relief of residents, the deep freeze will be replaced by a surge of milder air this weekend. Temperatures can dramatically swing 40 to 70 degrees higher than the lowest readings this week.
Commuters braves the wind and snow in frigid weather, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Winter storms create a unique set of challenges in the Northeast compared to other areas of the country. Great minds often come together to face the challenge. AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Dombek joins WABC New York’s Chief Meteorologist, Lee Goldberg to talk about their years of collaboration taking on the big storms.