The historic freeze that proved too cold for polar bears in the Midwest is spreading, dropping temperatures in the eastern third of the country about 20 degrees below normal for Tuesday, forecasters said.
Meanwhile, much of the Deep South is frozen solid, with hard freeze warnings in effect Tuesday from eastern Texas to the Florida panhandle.
How cold will it get? In New York, where it was about 50 degrees with wind chill Monday morning, could plunge as low as minus-7 dgrees on Tuesday -- a nearly 60-degree
temperature drop in a single day.
Both Atlanta and Washington will shiver in 6-degree weather; Pittsburgh will shudder at 4 degrees.
All this thanks to a distorted polar vortex that likely came from Siberia.
Not just cold, but deadly Authorities have blamed at least 15 deaths on the cold so far, including 11 from traffic accidents and two involving
hypothermia.
Extreme wind chills mean flesh can freeze in as little as five minutes.
Several major school districts are closed Tuesday,
including those in Minneapolis and Atlanta, to prevent children from waiting outside at bus stops.
Chicago also opened up 12 centers for residents to seek warmth, one of which was to stay open through Tuesday.
Libraries and some other city facilities would also be open, said Evelyn Diaz of the city's Department of Family and Support Services. Quinn said 100 warming centers were open statewide.
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