Welcome to the icebox! One of the coldest arctic air masses in the past 20 years is plunging temperatures below zero across the nations heartland.
From Minnesota to Florida — record-breaking frigid cold. (Via The Weather Channel)
Add strong winds and you have wind chill warnings pretty much everywhere. We'll start in Minnesota where wind chill readings Monday morning were about 55 below zero. (Via NOAA)
"A look around shows these are the expected high temperatures today. It's mostly in the teens and 20's below zero." (ViaKARE)
That's 20 below zero — for the high temperature. It doesn't get much better in Chicago. Forecast high temps of 15 below shut down schools across the city.
"The Chicago area digs out from mounds of snow and takes shelter from brutal cold. ... Chicago public schools are closed today because of the brutally cold weather. ... Our top story today this morning is the weather!" (Via CLTV)
The weather — also the top story in Northwest Indiana.
Parts of the state have declared a state of emergency after more than a foot of snow and strong winds knocked out power lines. Emergency shelters are set up to help those stranded in the freezing cold.
"We're doing better in terms of power outages but it is taking some time for those crews. ... We're even getting reports this morning that snowplows are getting stuck this morning that's how bad the situation is." (Via WTHR)
And the cold is creeping all the way down to the sunshine state of Florida.
"We'll see wind chills that are really, really cold for us. Then here we go, look at the temperatures fall, through the afternoon. In the 40s today, then below freezing into tomorrow and you can see that cold all the way down the Florida peninsula." (Via WTEV)
According to The Weather Channel, record temps are possible in at least 24 major cities Monday and by Tuesday more than 70 cities are in for record-breaking cold.
