Freezing temperatures have swept across the United States, affecting over 231 million people as bitterly cold air flows in from Canada and reaches as far south as the Gulf Coast. Over 125 million Americans are under some sort of wind chill alert from the U.S.-Canada border to the U.S.-Mexico border, and most advisories stretch through Wednesday.
Temperatures in the southern Plains have been dropping to levels that haven’t been seen since the Great Freeze of February 2021, according to the FOX Forecast Center. Factory machinery and water mains are freezing, and a shortage of natural gas has caused power outages in some areas. The cold temperatures have also turned deadly, with at least two people in Portland, Oregon dying from a cold-related illness. In Milwaukee, another three people reportedly died from apparent hypothermia over the weekend.
The impact of the cold weather is widespread, with school cancellations due to the cold on Tuesday from Detroit to Austin. Anyone with exposed skin in Chicago, Kansas City, Denver, and Wichita could experience frostbite in as little as 30 minutes, warns the FOX Forecast Center. On Monday, temperatures were 30 to 50 degrees colder than average, and over 20 cities broke their record lows, including Dallas where the record held for almost a century. The city’s feels-like temperature was one degree colder than Anchorage at 16, while temperatures in Caribou, Maine with a feels-like temperature of 6.
The impact on individuals has equally been significant, with over 15 million people experiencing temperatures below freezing. Havre, Montana, had the harshest conditions on Monday, with the coldest wind chill of the country at 62 below zero.
The FOX Forecast Center is keeping an eye on over 40 potential record lows that could occur up to Wednesday. However, there is good news to some extent: the cold weather is expected to moderate slightly by the latter part of the week. Windy conditions will calm down after Tuesday, which will make the feels-like temperature warmer.
The freezing temperatures have caused significant inconvenience and danger for millions of people. The impact on infrastructure and transport has been widespread, and people have been advised to stay indoors to avoid exposure to the harsh conditions. As the cold snap continues, authorities have urged people to take care and stay warm.
