Deadly Cold Weather due to Polar Vortex in Chicago

Temperatures fall to as low as -30C in Chicago, which is colder than some parts of Antarctica. Meteorologists have said the some of the coldest wind chills were recorded in International Falls, Minnesota, at -48C. The fatalities include a 75-year-old man hit by a snow plow in the Chicago area as well as a University of Iowa student who was found dead on campus.

Deaths related to extreme cold weather have been reported in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The extreme conditions are being caused by a spinning pool of cold air known as a polar vortex. Weather officials urged people to "avoid taking deep breaths, and to minimize talking" if they go outside.

Frostbite was possible within just 10 minutes of being outside, the National Weather Service stated. A state of emergency has been declared in the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois as well as in the southern states of Alabama and Mississippi.




Illinois State Police officers also rescued 21 people who were stranded in a charter bus that broke down in sub-zero temperatures. Streets in Chicago were nearly empty, with few people walking outside in the painfully cold air. Measures are in place to protect the homeless and other vulnerable people from the bitter cold, including turning some city buses into mobile warming shelters in Chicago.

Police are using fire to melt snow in many areas.