Polar Vortex Update: 6 States in US with Temps Lower than South Pole

Records are being shattered and communities are enduring the harshest cold in years as the polar vortex tightens its grip on the Midwestern United States. Before the Arctic outbreak eases later this week, a large swath of the Midwest can endure one to three consecutive days of subzero temperatures.

After the polar vortex plunged southward, temperatures plummeted under 20 below zero F from North Dakota to northern Illinois on Wednesday morning.

Biting winds made the extreme cold more life-threatening as AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures dropped under 50 below zero. Frostbite can occur in mere minutes on exposed skin in these conditions.

Among the deaths from the snow and cold that struck the Midwest was a man found frozen to death in a garage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to the Associated Press.

The cold has also led to widespread school closures, major travel disruptions and even the suspension of mail service.

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