Polar vortex plunges vast swath of U.S. into deep freeze
A harsh winter blast from the north is bringing dangerous low temperatures to much of the eastern two-thirds of the country.
/ 20 PHOTOS
Chicago
A man walks along an ice-covered breakwall along Lake Michigan while temperatures were hovering around -20 degrees and wind chills nearing -50 degrees on Jan. 31.
Businesses and schools have closed, Amtrak has suspended service into the city, more than a thousand flights have been cancelled and mail delivery has been suspended as the city copes with record-setting low temperatures.
— Scott Olson / Getty Images
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Buffalo, New York
A woman clears a car in the snow.
The National Weather Service described the polar vortex system surging from the north as "one of the coldest arctic air mass intrusions in recent memory."
— Lindsay Dedario / Reuters
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St. Paul, Minnesota
A firefighter walks past an ice-encrusted home after an early morning house fire on in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 30.
The air temperature was 27 degrees below zero Wednesday morning, with wind chills at 52 degrees below zero.
— Jean Pieri / Pioneer Press via AP
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Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
Drifting snow obscures a road in Lancaster County.
— Jacqueline Larma / AP
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Minneapolis
A pedestrian walks around Lake Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis.
— Brian Peterson / Star Tribue via AP
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Buffalo, New York
A man tows a suitcase during a winter storm.
Forecasters said subzero temperatures would cover large parts of the East and the Midwest where as many as 75 million Americans live.
— Lindsay Dedario / Reuters
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Chicago
A man tosses hot water into the freezing cold air by Lake Michigan. According to meteorologists temperatures in the Chicago area could drop to minus -25 F.
— Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA
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Cincinnati
Commuters brave the wind and snow.
— John Minchillo / AP
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Paterson, New Jersey
A couple looks at ice at the Great Falls National Historic Park.
— Julio Cortez / AP
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Chicago
A high school student from China takes a selfie along Lake Michigan on Jan. 29.
— Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA
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Rochester, Minnesota
Commuters wait for the bus in subzero temperatures.
— Joe Ahlquist / The Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP
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Chicago
A pedestrian stops to take a photo of ice on the Chicago River.
— Pinar Istek / Reuters
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Minneapolis
Chloe Adams skis with her dog Roscoe as wind chills reached -30 F.
— Craig Lassig / EPA
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Chicago
Ice covers the rocks at North Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan.
— Pinar Istek / Reuters
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Minneapolis
Evan Roberts is covered in frost while jogging.
— David Joles / Star Tribune via AP
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Minneapolis
Pedestrians cross the Stone Arch Bridge.
— Stephen Maturen / AFP - Getty Images
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Chicago
Erin Auger walks along the shore of Lake Michigan near Montrose Beach.
— Joshua Lott / The New York Times via Redux Pictures
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Rochester, Minnesota
Andrea Billings keeps her face covered while walking in subzero temperatures on the way to her car after work.
— Joe Ahlquist / The Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP
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Janesville, Wisconsin
Nathan Tearman, front, gets help from his brother James as they shovel their driveway on Jan. 28 after a winter snowstorm.
Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency shortly after noon Monday, citing the snow and severe cold that were forecast for the days ahead.
— Anthony Wahl / The Janesville Gazette via AP
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Dubuque, Iowa
Vicki Blake clears snow from the awning of a Dairy Queen as "Wrigley" looks on.