A “polar vortex” dropped over a huge section of the United States on Monday, sending temperatures plunging across the Midwest as the East Coast braced for the bitter Arctic blast.
Meteorologists predicted the lowest temperatures in two decades in some areas of the country, with the mercury at -35 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 37 Celsius) in Milwaukee. Icy roads and snow storms created travel chaos, with thousands of flights canceled or delayed.
The northeastern United States has endured heavy snow and deadly freezing conditions since the start of the year, and the extreme cold has claimed about a dozen lives nationwide.
“The coldest weather in years will be making its presence known from the Upper Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic region for the beginning of the work week,” the National Weather Service said. Wind chill warnings were in effect from Montana as far south as Tennessee and Alabama, with temperatures feeling as cold as -50 degrees Fahrenheit, it said, describing the conditions as “life-threatening.”
On the East Coast, a brief lull in the deep freeze greeted commuters today, but temperatures were expected to drop by 40 degrees overnight.