National Weather Service warns of 'the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced'

Winter in Washington, DC.
(Image credit: Eric Baradat/Getty Images)

The majority of Americans are about to experience some seriously cold weather, and in some states, the temperatures could hit record lows.

The National Weather Service says that in the coming days, as a polar vortex sweeps through the Midwest and the Great Lakes, parts of the country may experience "the coldest air in a generation," CNN reports. Temperatures in some states will likely "shatter dozens of records" and drop as low as 40 degrees below zero. In Chicago, for instance, the temperature may come close to reaching a new record of 29 degrees below zero as residents are warned of "life-threatening extreme cold" that "can lead to rapid onset of frostbite and hypothermia," per The Washington Post.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.