BISMARCK, N.D. — A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, triggering widespread closures of schools and businesses, and the canceling of more than 1,500 flights from Chicago’s airports. The cold even prompted the U.S. Postal Service to suspend mail delivery to a wide swath of the region.

Many normal activities shut down and residents huddled inside as the National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years. The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that allowed temperatures to plunge much further south than normal.

In Chicago, temperatures were still dropping after plunging early Wednesday to minus 19 degrees (negative 28 Celsius), breaking the day’s previous record low set in 1966. Snowplows were idled overnight in southwestern Minnesota, where temperatures dropped to negative 29 degrees (negative 34 Celsius). And the temperature in Fargo, North Dakota, was 31 degrees below zero (negative 35 Celsius).

In addition to the flight cancelations in Chicago at O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport, the extreme cold prompted Amtrak to cancel all trains into and out of Chicago.

Officials throughout the region were focused on protecting vulnerable people from the cold , including the homeless, seniors and those living in substandard housing. Some buses were turned into mobile warming shelters to help the homeless in Chicago.

Governors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan declared emergencies as the worst of the cold threatened on Wednesday. In Chicago, major attractions closed because of the bitter cold, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute and the Field Museum.

“These (conditions) are actually a public health risk and you need to treat it appropriately,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday. “They are life-threatening conditions and temperatures.”

A wind chill of minus 25 (negative 32 degrees Celsius) can freeze skin within 15 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

In Michigan, homeless shelters in Lansing were becoming “overloaded,” Mayor Andy Schor said. They also were filling up in Detroit.

“People don’t want to be out there right now,” said Brennan Ellis, 53, who is staying at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

Detroit’s outlook was for Wednesday overnight lows around minus 12 (negative 24 degrees Celsius), with wind chills dropping to minus 35 (negative 37 degrees Celsius).

At least four deaths were linked to the weather system Tuesday, including a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area, a young couple whose SUV struck another on a snowy road in northern Indiana and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage.

A popular saying goes: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat …” will stop the mail from being delivered. But extreme cold will on Wednesday.

The U.S. Postal Service said it would suspend mail delivery on Wednesday in parts or all of several Midwest states including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

Hawaii native Charles Henry, 54, was staying at a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota, and said he was grateful to have a place to stay out of the cold.

“That wind chill out there is not even a joke,” he said. “I feel sorry for anybody that has to stay outside.”

Chicago was turning five buses into makeshift warming centers moving around the city, some with nurses aboard, to encourage the homeless to come in from the cold.

“We’re bringing the warming shelters to them, so they can stay near all of their stuff and still warm up,” said Cristina Villarreal, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Family and Support Services.

Shelters, churches and city departments in Detroit worked together to help get vulnerable people out of the cold, offering the message to those who refused help that “you’re going to freeze or lose a limb,” said Terra DeFoe, a senior adviser to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

Hundreds of public schools and several large universities from North Dakota to Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday or planned to do so Wednesday.

American Indian tribes in the Upper Midwest were doing what they could to help members in need with heating supplies. The extreme cold was “a scary situation,” because much of the housing is of poor quality, said Chris Fairbanks, energy assistance program manager for the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.

The cold weather was even affecting beer deliveries, with a pair of western Wisconsin distributors saying they would delay or suspend shipments for fear that beer would freeze in their trucks.

But it wasn’t stopping one of America’s most formidable endurance tests, however — the three-day Arrowhead 135 was going on as scheduled in northeastern Minnesota. Competitors can cover the race route by bicycle, cross-country skis or just running.

The cold is attributed to a sudden warming far above the North Pole. A blast of warm air from misplaced Moroccan heat last month made the normally super chilly air temperatures above the North Pole rapidly increase. That split the polar vortex into pieces, which then started to wander, said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research.

One of those polar vortex pieces is responsible for the subzero temperatures across the Midwest this week.

Associated Press reporters Caryn Rousseau and Don Babwin in Chicago; Corey Williams, David Runk and Mike Householder in Detroit; David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan; and Jeff Baenen in Minneapolis contributed to this report. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein also contributed.</s>Chicago has officially broken its coldest record for January 30 as a deadly arctic blast freezes large swaths of the Midwest.

Temperatures were still dropping after plunging early Wednesday to minus 19 degrees, breaking the day’s previous record low of 15 below, set in 1966. Snowplows were idled overnight in southwestern Minnesota, where temperatures dropped to negative 29 degrees. The temperature in Fargo, North Dakota, was 31 degrees below zero.

More than 1,500 flights were canceled at Chicago’s airports as plummeting double-digit subzero temperatures disrupt area air and rail transit.

The National Weather Service said the actual temperature was 23 below zero at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday morning. Wind chills in northern Illinois were as low as 57 below in Rockford.

Officials have warned against venturing out into the dangerously cold weather, and the governor has issued a disaster proclamation.

The South Shore Line, which runs into northern Indiana, suspended its commuter rail trips Wednesday and said it expected limited service Thursday. Extreme weather conditions prompted Amtrak to cancel all trains into and out of Chicago on Wednesday and most services to and from Chicago on Thursday.

Some major Chicago attractions were not open Wednesday, and schools were closed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Polar vortex 2019: Relief coming for the Midwest that is suffering another record-low day

Frigid conditions blamed for at least 9 deaths, but gradual warmup will follow strong winds and blizzard conditions.</s>A brutal cold wave moved eastward Thursday after bringing temperatures in the US Midwest lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising fears of hypothermia.

The extreme weather has now been blamed for as many as eight deaths, US news outlets reported.

Mail deliveries were suspended and people were encouraged to stay home in nearly a dozen US states where the mercury plunged into the negative double digits, the worst freeze to grip the region in a generation.

The phenomenon stemming from a blast of Arctic air caused surreal scenes throughout the region, such as steam rising off the waters of Lake Michigan – the result of extremely cold air passing over warmer water below. Parts of Niagara Falls solidified into frozen stillness, and blocks of ice covered the river winding through downtown Chicago.

America’s third city was in the direct path of the harsh weather and experienced its second-coldest day ever. Chicago was on track to break new records overnight when temperatures were forecast to reach their lowest points in the early hours Thursday.

“They are life-threatening temperatures, and they should be treated accordingly,” he cautioned.

The most intense cold was expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday, said Ben Deubelbeiss, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, The New York Times reported.

The Wednesday morning temperature in the Windy City was -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius), which felt like -50 degrees (-46 Celsius) with wind chill.

It was colder than Alaska’s state capital and even colder than parts of Antarctica.

“It feels like being close to dry ice,” Leon Gilbert, 31 said. “I can feel my skin tighten up.”

Unlike most Chicago residents, Gilbert was required to report to his job at a Starbucks on a downtown street largely devoid of its usual bustle of people and traffic.

Sandwich shop manager Daniel Gonzalez, 37, also reported to work – at 5:00 am.

“I have two shirts on… I have a hoodie, I have my big winter coat, I have a face mask and a skullcap and still cold,” Gonzalez said.

At Chicago’s O’Hare airport, a major regional hub for airlines, ground crews struggled with freezing equipment and were told to avoid spending more than 15 minutes at a time exposed to the cold, causing delays for flights that managed to take off.

More than 1,800 flights were cancelled at Chicago’s two major airports, while rail operator Amtrak scrapped train services from its hub in the city.</s>The United States battles a polar vortex, with temperatures plunging to their lowest in history.

Temperatures across the US hit 40 degrees below zero 1:01

If dealing with temperatures plummeting to minus 32C overnight wasn’t bad enough, the frozen residents of Chicago received a shock when the city was afflicted by a “frost quake”.

A series of loud booms across the US’ third largest city, which led some people to think their houses were falling apart, has been put down to the frost quake phenomena — more scientifically known as cryoseism.

The ground beneath people’s feet was quite literally ripping apart.

Tourists, unused to the cold, have spoken of how it felt like their eyeballs were freezing, while police have pleaded with criminals to take a break from committing crimes.

Transport chaos has seen trains, planes and a fair few automobiles come to a standstill with railway tracks set on fire to stop them cracking in the cold.

The deaths of 12 people have now been linked to the huge lick of Arctic air that has swept into southern Canada, the Midwestern and north eastern United States.

The bitter cold has been caused by a displacement of the polar vortex, a stream of air that normally spins around the stratosphere over the North Pole but whose current has been disrupted and is now pushing south.

Some people have perished when becoming trapped outside for relatively short periods of time. In Illinois, an 82-year-old man died from cold exposure when he slipped just outside his front door. A 38-year-old woman who died in her apartment may have had a malfunctioning thermostat.

A mum in Kansas was arrested when she allegedly left her two toddlers in a car with no heat. Temperatures in the area plummeted to -21C.

Previously, authorities said it was dangerous to leave shelter and if people were out they shouldn’t breathe too deeply for fear of frozen air reaching their lungs.

The town of Mount Carroll, 200 kilometres west of Chicago, recorded an unofficial overnight low of -39C on Thursday.

On Thursday morning at 8am the commute in Minneapolis was a bracing -31C.

The polar vortex is not done yet. It’s Thursday across the states and icy blasts are still on the cards.

This could lead to more of the “frost quakes” that have been plaguing Chicago and worrying residents.

“Heard two loud booms last night, thought my house was falling apart,” said Melissa Eckhardt on the Facebook page of WGN-TV.

“I thought I was crazy!” said Chastity Clark Baker. “I was up all night because I kept hearing it. I was scared and thought it was the furnace. I had everyone’s jackets on the table in case we had to run out of here.”

Others thought birds were attacking roofs or that thieves were breaking in.

In fact, what people heard was a seismic event called cryoseism caused by the expansion of frozen soil and rock.

Heavy snow and rain can saturate the ground. When that’s accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature the moisture freezes which leads it to expand and suddenly crack and break causing the booms and even earthquake-like shaking.

Talking to USA Today, Ball State University meteorologist Dave Call said to think of a bottle of liquid in a freezer, expanding and exploding.

“It’s more of a noise phenomenon, like a balloon popping, than a physical danger,” he said.

However, because frost quakes are so localised and relatively small in nature they are not picked up by seismographs so there is no record of them having occurred.

More than 8000 flights have been cancelled so far as the brutally cold weather disrupts airport operations, with Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports bearing the brunt of the cancellations.

Among the many problems brought by the extreme weather is planes and runways icing over and water sources on planes freezing up, as well as the difficulty of carrying out repairs.

Rail operator Amtrak has cancelled all its trains through the Midwest corridor, making long-distance travel almost impossible in vortex-struck areas.

In an incredible move, Chicago’s train system Metra started lighting the tracks on fire to keep them warm enough for trains to operate.

Snow and ice can clog the points used to keep the train rolling, so the gas-fuelled flames — which technically run alongside the tracks — keep the switch points warm so they don’t get clogged. It’s actually not uncommon for Metra to resort to the practice when the mercury drops below zero.

And while Americans are struggling with the historically low temperatures brought by the Arctic vortex, many visitors to the US have no idea what they’ve walked into.

Irish expat Louise Barry, who is in Chicago, told the Irish Times the weather was so cold it “felt like my eyeballs were freezing”.

“This weather is on a whole other level,” she said. “It’s eerily quiet as everything shut down on Wednesday as the temperatures plummeted. It hit -47C degrees in the morning!

“The cold is unbearable; walking home from work on Tuesday night as the temperatures hit -30C, the only part of my body exposed to the elements was my eyes. I’ve never experienced my eyeballs freezing but that’s exactly what it felt like was happening with the freezing wind.

“The winter weather can be deceptive as we have gorgeous bright blue skies, you wouldn’t think it was as cold. No one will be outside today as frostbite will occur after five minutes on any exposed skin.”

Police have even taken to social media to plead with criminals to take a break during the cold weather.

On Facebook, police in Maryland asked: “Those thinking about doing some crime tonight, It’s really super cold outside and only getting colder.”

Instead, the force suggested crims stay home and binge watch Netflix, read a book with some hot chocolate, or “watch old re-runs of COPS”.

Others have taken to social media to post images and videos of the weird effects the deep freeze is causing.

This includes pasta frozen so solid it can support the weight of a fork, T-shirts becoming petrified in gravity defying positions and hot water instantly turning into frozen smoke the second it hits hot air.

But the polar vortex’s days may be numbered with Thursday expected to be the last day of extreme cold. Temperatures should edge up from Friday. By Monday, Chicago could be on a balmy 10C — almost beach weather.

Atlanta, where the Super Bowl is due to be held, will go from temperatures in the single digits this week to mid-teens next week.

But while eyeballs will unfreeze and criminals will resume normal business, the cost of the polar vortex could be substantial.

Weather website AccuWeather has totted up the final bill of business, schools and museums forced to lose, insurance claims, flooding damage and increased heating costs at almost $AU7 billion.</s>It's so cold in Chicago they've set fires along the train tracks

As record-breaking icy temperatures descend on the Midwest, an incredible video of Chicago's rail lines flanked by flames shows the measures being taken to keep the city moving.

In aerial video taken by ABC News, fire licks the commuter rail lines; Metra, Chicago's commuter service, is running a reduced schedule Wednesday due to "extreme cold weather." Amtrak canceled all its trains in and out of the city.

As startling as the video is, switch heaters are commonly used in cold-weather climates. The heaters usually turn on automatically when the temperature dips or snow falls, heating up the crucial switches along the rails, which have moving components that can freeze stuck. Some switch heaters simply get warm, like a radiator, while others can be gas-fed to produce flames.

Chicago's Metra uses a custom-made gas-fed switch heating system at A-2, its busiest commuter train intersection. While dramatic, it's a whole lot nicer than what train operators used to do.

'WE'RE GETTING SOFT': Kentucky governor says America is weak for closing schools during polar vortex

"We all used to carry this stuff, I called it skunk oil," John Meyer, director of engineering for the Milwaukee District, told Metra. "We poured it in a two-gallon can, poured it out, and threw a match in it, and it'd start a fire along all the rails. We're talking in the mid-70s. Nowadays you'd get in big trouble doing that."

Many normal activities shut down and residents huddled inside as the National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years. The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that allowed temperatures to drop much farther south than normal.

In Chicago, temperatures were still dropping after plunging early Wednesday to minus 19 degrees, breaking the day's previous record low set in 1966.

Officials throughout the region were focused on protecting vulnerable people from the cold , including the homeless, seniors and those living in substandard housing. Some buses were turned into mobile warming shelters to help the homeless in Chicago.

Governors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan declared emergencies as the worst of the cold threatened on Wednesday. In Chicago, major attractions closed because of the bitter cold, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute and the Field Museum.

"These (conditions) are actually a public health risk and you need to treat it appropriately," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday. "They are life-threatening conditions and temperatures."

A wind chill of minus 25 can freeze skin within 15 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>CHICAGO: A brutal cold wave moved eastward on Thursday after bringing temperatures in the US Midwest lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising fears of hypothermia.The extreme weather has now been blamed for as many as eight deaths, US news outlets reported.Mail deliveries were suspended and people were encouraged to stay home in nearly a dozen US states where the mercury plunged into the negative double digits, the worst freeze to grip the region in a generation.The phenomenon stemming from a blast of Arctic air caused surreal scenes throughout the region, such as steam rising off the waters of Lake Michigan - the result of extremely cold air passing over warmer water below. Parts of Niagara Falls solidified into frozen stillness, and blocks of ice covered the river winding through downtown Chicago.America's third city was in the direct path of the harsh weather and experienced its second-coldest day ever. Chicago was on track to break new records overnight when temperatures were forecast to reach their lowest points in the early hours on Thursday."This is a historic cold, obviously," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told a Wednesday night news conference."They are life-threatening temperatures, and they should be treated accordingly," he cautioned.The most intense cold was expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday, said Ben Deubelbeiss, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, The New York Times reported.The Wednesday morning temperature in the Windy City was -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius), which felt like -50 degrees (-46 Celsius) with wind chill.It was colder than Alaska's state capital and even colder than parts of Antarctica."It feels like being close to dry ice," Leon Gilbert, 31, told AFP. "I can feel my skin tighten up." Unlike most Chicago residents, Gilbert was required to report to his job at a Starbucks on a downtown street largely devoid of its usual bustle of people and traffic.Sandwich shop manager Daniel Gonzalez, 37, also reported to work - at 5:00 am."I have two shirts on... I have a hoodie, I have my big winter coat, I have a face mask and a skullcap and still cold," Gonzalez told AFP.At Chicago's O'Hare airport, a major regional hub for airlines, ground crews struggled with freezing equipment and were told to avoid spending more than 15 minutes at a time exposed to the cold, causing delays for flights that managed to take off.More than 1,800 flights were cancelled at Chicago's two major airports, while rail operator Amtrak scrapped train services from its hub in the city.The US Postal Service suspended deliveries in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois , Ohio, Iowa, the Dakotas and Nebraska.The cause of the sub-zero chill affecting tens of millions of Americans was a swirl of Arctic air that broke away from the polar vortex that usually encircles the North Pole The National weather service said temperatures would remain 25 to 45 degrees below average through Thursday, with wind chill values as low as -25 to -55 degrees Fahrenheit (-32 to -48 Celsius)."The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as five minutes," NWS said.Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin implemented emergency measures.Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said government offices would remain closed through Thursday. Nonessential employees would stay home."The priority must continue to be on keeping people safe," she said. Authorities and health experts warned of frostbite and hypothermia.Hundreds of warming centers were opened for vulnerable residents such as seniors, buses were employed as mobile warming spaces, and shelter capacities were increased for the homeless, including the approximately 16,000 living on the streets of Chicago.Burke Patten, spokesman for Chicago homeless shelter provider The Night Ministry, said some of the homeless were reluctant to go to shelters."The concern would be whether they are going to be able to survive in these bitter cold temperatures," Patten told AFP.Flight cancellations piled up throughout the country -- more than 2,700 by the evening, stranding travellers such as Brandon Robinson who spent extra days at a Chicago hotel."I'm here until they let me leave," Robinson said.Remnants of a weekend snowstorm continued to plague portions of the northeast US -- with strong winds and blowing snow reducing visibility on roads.Heavy snow was forecast in the northern stretches of Maine and snow squalls predicted for other parts of the east coast. (AFP)</s>CBS 2 Weather Watch (10 P.M. Sept. 9, 2019)CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has your extended forecast.

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1 day ago</s>BISMARCK, N.D. — A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, triggering widespread closures of schools and businesses, and the canceling of more than 1,500 flights from Chicago's airports. The cold even prompted the U.S. Postal Service to suspend mail delivery to a wide swath of the region.

Many normal activities shut down and residents huddled inside as the National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years. The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that allowed temperatures to drop much farther south than normal.

In Chicago, temperatures were still dropping after plunging early Wednesday to minus 19 degrees, breaking the day's previous record low set in 1966. Snowplows were idled overnight in southwestern Minnesota, where temperatures dropped to negative 29 degrees. And the temperature in Fargo, North Dakota, was 31 degrees below zero.

In addition to the flight cancelations in Chicago at O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport, the extreme cold prompted Amtrak to cancel all trains into and out of Chicago.

Officials throughout the region were focused on protecting vulnerable people from the cold , including the homeless, seniors and those living in substandard housing. Some buses were turned into mobile warming shelters to help the homeless in Chicago.

Governors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan declared emergencies as the worst of the cold threatened on Wednesday. In Chicago, major attractions closed because of the bitter cold, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute and the Field Museum.

"These (conditions) are actually a public health risk and you need to treat it appropriately," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday. "They are life-threatening conditions and temperatures."

A wind chill of minus 25 can freeze skin within 15 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

In Michigan, homeless shelters in Lansing were becoming "overloaded," Mayor Andy Schor said. They also were filling up in Detroit.

"People don't want to be out there right now," said Brennan Ellis, 53, who is staying at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

Detroit's outlook was for Wednesday overnight lows around minus 12, with wind chills dropping to minus 35.

At least four deaths were linked to the weather system Tuesday, including a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area, a young couple whose SUV struck another on a snowy road in northern Indiana and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage.

A popular saying goes: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat …" will stop the mail from being delivered. But extreme cold will on Wednesday.

The U.S. Postal Service said it would suspend mail delivery on Wednesday in parts or all of several Midwest states including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

Hawaii native Charles Henry, 54, was staying at a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota, and said he was grateful to have a place to stay out of the cold.

"That wind chill out there is not even a joke," he said. "I feel sorry for anybody that has to stay outside."

Chicago was turning five buses into makeshift warming centers moving around the city, some with nurses aboard, to encourage the homeless to come in from the cold.

"We're bringing the warming shelters to them, so they can stay near all of their stuff and still warm up," said Cristina Villarreal, spokeswoman for the city's Department of Family and Support Services.

Shelters, churches and city departments in Detroit worked together to help get vulnerable people out of the cold, offering the message to those who refused help that "you're going to freeze or lose a limb," said Terra DeFoe, a senior adviser to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

Hundreds of public schools and several large universities from North Dakota to Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday or planned to do so Wednesday.

American Indian tribes in the Upper Midwest were doing what they could to help members in need with heating supplies. The extreme cold was "a scary situation," because much of the housing is of poor quality, said Chris Fairbanks, energy assistance program manager for the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.

The cold weather was even affecting beer deliveries, with a pair of western Wisconsin distributors saying they would delay or suspend shipments for fear that beer would freeze in their trucks.

But it wasn't stopping one of America's most formidable endurance tests, however — the three-day Arrowhead 135 was going on as scheduled in northeastern Minnesota. Competitors can cover the race route by bicycle, cross-country skis or just running.

The cold is attributed to a sudden warming far above the North Pole. A blast of warm air from misplaced Moroccan heat last month made the normally super chilly air temperatures above the North Pole rapidly increase. That split the polar vortex into pieces, which then started to wander, said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research.

One of those polar vortex pieces is responsible for the subzero temperatures across the Midwest this week.</s>The brutally cold weather that’s killed 12 people and trapped millions in a historic deep freeze will finally let up by week’s end.

The extreme cold was still evident Thursday as frigid air and dangerous wind chills stretched from the Upper Midwest all the way to Maine, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

At the cold’s peak Thursday morning, about 7 a.m. ET, more than 216 million people saw temperatures below freezing, including 84 million who dealt with subzero temperatures, Hennen said.

By the afternoon, about 30 million people were still under wind chill warnings and advisories — down from a peak of 140 million in the morning.

But the misery will slowly melt away Friday, with a warming trend that could give many Americans thermal whiplash.

“Today is the last of the extreme cold air,” Hennen said Thursday. “Temperatures will rebound quickly over much of the area that saw the extreme cold, creating a yo-yo effect of extreme temperature difference.”

Chicago, for example, will see a temperature rise of almost 75 degrees — from extreme cold of 20-25 below zero to temps in the low 50s on Monday.

And Atlanta, which has shivered in the 20s this week, will enjoy temperatures in the 60s when it hosts the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Chicago might be hit with ‘frost quakes’

Across the country, the bone-chilling weather has shattered dozens of records.

Chicago came close to breaking its record of 27 below zero when temperatures plunged to 21 below, Hennen said.

But the Windy City now has something other than a negative-41 wind chill to worry about: frost quakes.

Some Chicagoans were startled awake Wednesday by a series of large booms, CNN affiliate WGN reported.

“I thought I was crazy! I was up all night because I kept hearing it,” Chastity Clark Baker said on Facebook, according to WGN. “I was scared and thought it was the furnace. I kept walking through the house. I had everyone’s jackets on the table in case we had to run out of here.”

That boom was probably a weather phenomenon known as cryoseism — and dubbed a “frost quake.” It happens when water underground freezes and expands, causing soil and rock to crack.

12 deaths are now linked to brutal weather

As millions grapple with frigid temperatures, at least 12 deaths have been linked to this week’s extreme weather.

The latest reported death was in Marquette Heights, Illinois, where an 82-year-old man died from cold exposure after he slipped on an ice patch outside his home, according to police Chief Bradd Elliott. The man had just returned home and was about to go inside when he slipped.

A neighbor noticed him a few hours later and called 911, Elliott said. He died at a hospital.

In Michigan, the body of a 70-year-old man was found frozen near his Detroit home, police said. It was not clear why he was outdoors.

Officials in Iowa said there have been four deaths there this week, including the discovery Wednesday of a University of Iowa student.

The student, a sophomore, was found unresponsive about 4 a.m. ET behind a campus recreational facility. The temperature in Iowa City at that time was about 21 below zero, and it had been below zero all day, the National Weather Service reported.

Storm-related deaths were also reported in Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin, authorities said.

The massive cold snap has also frozen some mail and blood donation services.

The US Postal Service said due to arctic temperatures, Thursday deliveries are suspended in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The American Red Cross said 370 blood drives across the country were canceled as temperatures dropped.

“The Red Cross currently has an emergency need for blood and platelet donors of all types to help ensure lifesaving medical treatments and emergency care are not delayed or canceled this winter,” spokeswoman Stephanie Rendon said in an email.

State government offices in Michigan were closed for a second day on Thursday due to “emergency weather conditions.”

Michigan wants residents to weather storm on less heat

Despite the frigid temperatures, Michigan’s governor is asking some residents to turn their heat down.

A fire at Consumers Energy’s Ray Natural Gas Compressor Station in Macomb County — which is responsible for about one-fifth of the state’s natural gas storage supply — shut down all gas flow from the facility.

With gas delivery inhibited, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a late-night appeal Wednesday to residents of the lower peninsula, asking them to turn their thermostats down to 65 degrees or lower until noon Friday.

It’s important for Michiganders to follow through, Whitmer said, “so that we can get through this storm with minimal harm.”
Several hundred flights are cancelled in Chicago amidst an extreme cold wave bringing temperatures of −22 °F (−30 °C) to the region. Amtrak, Metra and South Shore Line have also cancelled services.