Its time to hunker down and ride out the cold for much of the U.S. The Midwest is bearing the brunt of it, but other areas of the country, like New England and even down into the Southeast, are experiencing unusually cold weather.
Schools and many services like trash pickup and mail delivery throughout the Midwest have been cancelled, and experts are warning about the dangers for residents of those areas. Governments throughout the region have set up ‘warming centers’ for homeless people and those without sufficient heat in their homes.
As just one example of a record-breaking temperature, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport reported a temperature of -23 degrees Fahrenheit; the previous record had been -15.
It’s known as a polar votex. Basically, it’s the weather pattern that generally hangs over the North Pole- a consistent area of low pressure air. Every once in a while, the system moves and expands enough to disrupt the weather further from the pole. Unfortunately for the Midwest, now is one of those times.
This week’s cold in the U.S. is just part of a larger pattern of extreme weather across the world. While the U.S. freezes, temps in Adelaide, Australia have hit highs of 116 Fahrenheit.
So buckle up, everybody. It’s only gonna get crazier.
