‘Polar Vortex’ Brings Coldest Temperatures in Decades

This #ColdOutbreak shouldn’t be taken lightly. Coldest temperatures in almost 20 years. Life-threatening wind chills. http://t.co/JHH22kzhs0

â€" NWS (@NWS) 5 Jan 14

Waking up in Madison, Wis., this morning? Monday’s forecast is 21 degrees below zero. In Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Chicago it is minus 15. And in Fargo, N.D., it’s 32 degrees below zero.

With an arctic air mass bringing “dangerously low temperatures” to the center of the country, the wind chill temperature could make it feel like 50 degrees below zero in parts of the northern Plains and Midwest. The so-called polar vortex, as some meteorologists are describing this weather pattern, will also bring the coldest temperatures in years as far south as Atlanta and Nashville, where the high on Monday is expected to be 10 degrees.

Check out these 5am wind chills across the #Chicago area. The Polar Vortex is at work! http://t.co/zHFxxPwUxZ

â€" WGN TV News (@WGNNews) 6 Jan 14

As a precaution against the record low temperatures, the governor of Minnesota shut public schools statewide Monday, the first time in 17 years. And, with a weekend storm dumping more snow and ice in Indiana and Illinois, the mayor of Indianapolis banned driving. Chicago also ordered its public schools shut Monday after officials initially said over the weekend they would be open.

Already, more than 2,500 flights have been canceled around the country on Monday, according to Flightaware, an online flight tracking service, on top of thousands of flights canceled or delayed in recent days. At O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, 1,200 flights were canceled on Sunday.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, the morning temperature was a balmy 54 degrees in New York on Monday. But, as the arctic air moves east, temperatures are expected to steadily fall throughout the day and hover over around zero on Tuesday.

Here’s a look at wind chill temps at 10Z: ranging from -10 to -57! #coldoutbreak #coldweather #brrr http://t.co/UdLgv8ZS0j

â€" NWS WPC (@NWSWPC) 6 Jan 14

According to the National Weather Service, a look at reported wind chill temperatures in the hardest hit states.

…IOWA…
MASON CITY -48
SHELDON -45
STORM LAKE -45
ESTHERVILLE -45
CHARLES CITY -45
QUAD CITIES -42
CEDAR RAPIDS -42
DES MOINES -39
FORT DODGE -38

…MINNESOTA…
GRAND MARAIS AIRPORT -55
FLAG ISLAND -53
GRAND RAPIDS -53
GLENWOOD -53
NORTHOME -52
BEMIDJI -52
DULUTH -52
CROOKSTON -51
ALEXANDRIA AIRPORT -50
INTERNATIONAL FALLS -50
HALLOCK -50
STARBUCK 9 SSW -50
BAUDETTE -47
MINNEAPOLIS -46

…MONTANA…
COMERTOWN 6 S -63
NAVAJO 1 N -61
BREDETTE 8 WSW -59
COMERTOWN 6 S -58
LINDSAY 7 NNW -57
SAINT MARIE -56
NOHLY 12 WSW -54
LANDUSKY 5 W -53
BLOOMFIELD 6 ESE -50
GLASGOW -50
VIDA 9 S -50
ZORTMAN 10 ENE -50

.

..NORTH DAKOTA…
ROLLA -60
CROSBY 1 NNW -59
AMBROSE 4 SE -58
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE -58
RAY 2 W -58
RUGBY AIRPORT -58
ELLENDALE -56
TIOGA 2 ESE -56
DENHOFF 1 ENE -55
FORBES 9 NW -55
STERLING 3 NE -55
CARRINGTON AIRPORT -54
SHELL VALLEY 1 ENE -54
STANLEY 1 SW -54
INTL PEACE GARDENS -53
DICKINSON -51
BISMARCK -46

…SOUTH DAKOTA…
HILLHEAD 3 WSW -53
WEBSTER 3 S -52
BUFFALO -50
LONG LAKE 10 W -50
HILLHEAD 3 WSW -48
BULLHEAD 11 S -47
WATERTOWN MUNICIPAL AIROPRT -47
FAITH -47
ABERDEEN -45
PIERRE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT -44

…WISCONSIN…
DEXTER 1 ENE -47
NEW RICHMOND -47
WAUSAU -44
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY AIRPORT -42
MEDFORD -42
RHINELANDER -42
MADISON -33
GREEN BAY -30