A blast of Arctic air from the polar vortex has caused temperatures to drop to as low as -46C (-50F) in Chicago. Cities in the midwest opened warming shelters as temperatures plummeted well below zero. The Illinois governor warned the weather 'poses a serious threat' to people's wellbeing. The polar vortex, a mass of freezing air, usually spins around the North Pole
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Polar vortex blasts US with life-threatening cold
Warming shelters open in midwest as Chicago area sees temperatures drop to -50F (-46C), with snow possible in southern states
A blast of arctic-chilled air from the polar vortex brought dangerous, record-setting cold to a wide swath of the eastern US on Tuesday, stretching from the Dakotas through Maine, with snow expected as far south as Alabama and Georgia.
Cities in the midwest opened warming shelters as temperatures plummeted well below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-17.8C) . Regional governments closed hundreds of schools and airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights, including many to Atlanta days before the Super Bowl.
Continue reading...Polar vortex: how cold will it be and what should the midwest expect?
Though the region is familiar with bitter winters, record low temperatures may be threatening, forecasters warn
Record low temperatures are descending on the American midwest. The region is long familiar with bitter winters, but this is an exceptional cold snap that forecasters warn could be life-threatening. The extreme chill comes after a snowstorm that hit the area overnight on Monday.
Related: Americans’ climate change concerns surge to record levels, poll shows
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