The Frigid 'Polar Vortex' cold snap engulfing in US is so bad that it can give people frostbite in 5 minutes.
75% of the continental US population is expected to face below heavy freezing temperatures this week as a polar vortex hits the region.
The US Northeast and Midwest are forecast to be worst hit, with Chicago on Wednesday expected to see a high of just 14 degrees below zero and a low of minus 29 (minus 26 to minus to 34 in Celsius).
3.Medical & weather authorities warn that people could get Frostbite and Hypothermia from as little as five minutes outside.
- Thousands of Flights have also been cancelled, with airlines waiving flight change fees to accommodate for the weather.
This week, regions from North Dakota into Missouri, and as far east as upstate Newyork are expected to drop 50 degrees below average for late January 2019.
The Polar Vortex refers to an air pattern that keeps cold air in the polar regions. Sometimes, that mass of air expands and get pushed away from its normal pattern, in this case allowing the cold air from the North Pole to pour over the US.