A​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ frigid and harsh blast of outer-space-like air from the Arctic source was primarily responsible for plunging central and northeastern parts of the United States into sub-zero temperatures, right from the night of Friday onward. States and cities ranging from Iowa and Michigan to New York have recorded all-time lows for this period as record-breaking cold hits U.S. communities with unprecedented intensity.

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Polar Air Causes Extreme Chill

The U.S. Weather Prediction Center meteorologists claimed that the cutting off of cold air has made the temperatures much colder by about 20 °F. Numerous cities and towns of the Great Lakes, Northern Plains, Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, and New England have suffered from such a cold snap.

One of the most significant local cold comparisons, which highlights the extreme cold in a small Canadian prairie town of Spencer, Iowa’s temperature dropped to -19 °F (or -28.3 °C), and the record it has held since 2005 was broken.

Meanwhile, airports serving the New York City area, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, measured temperatures near the record lows, ranging from 19 °F to 22 °F, respectively. At the same time, upstate New York went down to -22 °F (or -30 °C), exceeding previous December records. Detroit managed to be quite uncharacteristically cold, and it is said to have even broken its own record from the previous night.

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Hazards Grow Beyond the Thermometer

The freezing is not the only problem that people have to deal with. In several areas, such as Indiana and Oklahoma, freezing fog and conditions for ‘black ice‘ are being reported, which makes the transport and traffic situation very unsafe.

Additionally, in the western and northern parts, snow showers are expected in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and Rockies until Saturday, whereas a storm moving through the Northern Plains can result in a heavy snowfall. The conglomerate of deep cold, snow, and icy road conditions is greatly affecting the transport sector of the economy by canceling and causing delays of flights as well as road trips.

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A Harsh Reminder: Winter Arrives Early

Even though the calendar still shows late autumn, the severity of this winter cold blow is equal to that of a deep winter period. Should it be the most intense one of the season, forecasters even suggest that such waves of very cold air could still be expected during the next week or two.

While millions of people living in the United States are putting on more and more layers of clothes in their anticipation of dangerously low wind chills, local authorities are warning that, as record-breaking cold hits U.S. regions, people should take care of themselves, especially children, the elderly, and those who have to go outside, either for work or for a trip in the following days.

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