A record arctic air mass will remain over the central and eastern United States over the next several days. Several people have died in the dangerously low temperatures, which have now moved to the Northeast.
Image: Reuters/P. Istek
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Freezing temperatures sweeping the northern United States left at least 13 people dead through Thursday with authorities urging people to stay home.
Two people in the Detroit area died due to the dangerously low temperatures, and a University of Iowa student was found on campus in Iowa City before being taken to hospital, where he died.
An 82-year-old Illinois man who had fallen while trying to get into his home died several hours after he was found, authorities said.
The icy temperatures — which were expected to ease Thursday — have also grounded flights, disrupted travel, and closed schools and businesses.
The extreme cold has now settled in over the Northeast. In western New York, a storm that dumped up to 20 inches of snow (51 centimeters) gave way to subzero temperatures and dangerous wind chills. The arctic conditions caused problems from Buffalo to Brooklyn.
Authorities urge caution
Those who do venture out were advised by the National Weather Service to cover their mouths and protect their lungs from severely cold air by not "taking deep breaths" and keeping talking to a minimum.
People were advised to avoid breathing in the freezing airImage: Getty Images/S. Olson
The freezing weather has been caused by the polar vortex, a mass of freezing air which usually rotates around the North Pole but has drifted south to the United States.
DW's Maya Schwayder, on the ground in Chicago, said that any exposed skin would get "frostbite within minutes" and that "even hair and eyeballs could freeze over."
Arctic temperatures grip US Midwest
Freezing temperatures have taken over the northern United States, causing deaths and disrupting services. In Chicago, the temperature was colder than Alaska's state capital and parts of Antarctica.
Image: Getty Images/S. Olson
Frozen city
Freezing temperatures have gripped the northern United States due to a split in the polar vortex, a mass of cold air that normally stays bottled up in the Arctic. The Wednesday morning temperature in Chicago was -30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) which felt like -46 degrees with the wind chill. It was expected to get down to -33 degrees on Thursday.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/P. Gorski
Delays and cancellations
The weather wreaked havoc on airports and train services. More than 1,800 flights were cancelled at Chicago's two major airports, while rail operator Amtrak cancelled train services from its hub in the city. At Chicago's O'Hare airport, ground crews were told to avoid spending more than 15 minutes at a time exposed to the freezing air, which delayed the lucky flights that managed to take off.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/R. Soderlin
Rugged up
Commuters heading to work in Chicago had to layer up to fend off the cold. "I have two shirts on... I have a hoodie, I have my big winter coat, I have a face mask and a skullcap and I am still cold," sandwich shop manager Daniel Gonzalez said.
Image: Getty Images/S. Olson
Cold turns deadly
The dangerously low temperatures killed several people, including a University of Ohio student, and an 82-year-old man who fell as he approached his front door. "This is a historic cold, obviously," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "They are life-threatening temperatures, and they should be treated accordingly," he cautioned
Image: Reuters/J. Coffelt
Life goes on
Despite the bitter cold, daily activities have to continue. The outside temperature was -28 degrees at Metogga Lake Dairy on Wednesday and staff started milking 412 cows at 4 o'clock in the morning.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com
Frostbite in seconds
Hundreds of warming centers were opened for vulnerable residents such as seniors. Buses were used as mobile warming spaces, and shelter capacities were increased for the homeless, including the approximately 16,000 living on the streets of Chicago. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as five minutes," the National Weather Service said.
The weather affected other essential services, including the postal system and blood donations. The US Postal Service suspended deliveries in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, the Dakotas and Nebraska. The American Red Cross had to cancel 370 blood drives, which was expected to lead to an estimated 11,600 in uncollected blood donations for the month of January.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. De Sisti
Quick freeze
When temperatures get below around -35 degrees Celsius, water can freeze instantly. Here someone has tried to blow a bubble, but it has swiftly transformed into ice as it met the cold air.
As temperatures dipped, Glenn and Julia Auerbach invited their friends Dan Wilson and Omina Shibahara over to their Minneapolis home for a backyard sauna. The hot room was over 100 degrees warmer than outside.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com
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Chicago freeze
Including the wind chill factor, parts of the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Minnesota had temperatures of -70 Fahrenheit (-56.7 Celsius), according to forecasters.
In Chicago, the morning temperature was -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius), which was colder than Alaska's state capital and parts of Antarctica. Much of the Chicago River was frozen over.
Lake Michigan in Chicago was covered in thick snow and iceImage: Getty Images/S. Olson
A total of 1,359 flights were canceled for Thursday, but conditions are expected to improve heading into the weekend.
Postal services were unable to deliver mail in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, the Dakotas and Nebraska.
If temperatures reach -27 degrees Fahrenheit (-33 Celsius), it would be the coldest recorded temperature since January 1985.
Chicago city officials encouraged 80,000 homeless to ask for help: "3-1-1 offers a range of services to assist some of Chicago's most vulnerable residents," officials said in a statement on Monday. They added that the city offered "shelter for homeless residents, warming centers and well-being checks."
In pictures: Niagara Falls freezes over
Visitors are braving subzero temperatures to see the Niagara Falls in all its winter glory. Arctic wind coupled with a cold weather system have transformed the massive falls into scenes of black and white.
Image: Reuters/M. Doiron
Dressed in white
Icy temperatures have taken hold of Niagara Falls, transforming the waterfalls into a magical black and white scene. The phenomenon was brought on by a cold weather system moving over North America, which the US National Weather Service says was strengthened by additional arctic air coming from Canada.
Image: Reuters/M. Doiron
Arctic blast
The US National Weather Service has warned the eastern region to brace for "bitter cold temperatures and wind chills." A storm system has pushed temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius in the Great Lakes region, where the Niagara Falls is located. Despite the cold, visitors are still making their way to the falls, many taking to social media to share their photos of the icy scenes.
Image: Reuters/M. Doiron
Water flowing around the ice
Although it will never completely freeze over, large blocks of ice have formed at the base of the Niagara Falls. An aerial view shows the water running both around and under frozen over parts of the falls, crashing onto the large chunks at the bottom. The surrounding town of the same name lies by the water, and is also covered in heavy snow.
Image: Reuters/Dronebase
Tourists brave the cold
The giant waterfall has always been a popular photo location, but the icy landscape makes for an especially impressive picture. Visitor Emma Grafham told CNN she felt like she was in the movie Frozen. "There was even this set of stairs that were placed just outside the look-on spot and they had so much ice on them, it looked like Elsa had just cast her arm up and summoned up some stairs."
Image: Reuters/M. Doiron
Heavy snow around the falls
Snow and ice cover the vegetation on the edge of the Horseshoe Falls. Also known as the Canadian Falls, this is the largest of the three waterfalls straddling the US-Canada border. At 792 meters wide and 53 meters high, the Horseshoe Falls accounts for 90 percent of the water volume at the Niagara Falls — an astonishing sight both in summer and winter.
