Polar vortex 2019: Relief coming for the Midwest that is suffering another record-low day

Frigid conditions blamed for at least 9 deaths, but gradual warmup will follow strong winds and blizzard conditions. </s> A blast of life-threatening cold air continues to grip the U.S. Midwest and is now blamed for at least 12 deaths. Linda So reports. </s> Frozen winds have brought record-low temperatures to the US midwest as a blast of Arctic air, known as the polar vortex, unnerves residents accustomed to brutal winters... Wet clothes freeze after 10 minutes, ice arrives after a hot shower and ships break their way through the Chicago River
• Polar vortex: eight dead as Arctic air spreads across midwest
• 'Cold as ºF': Chicago residents make best of life in 'Chiberia' during polar vortex </s> The United States battles a polar vortex, with temperatures plunging to their lowest in history.

Temperatures across the US hit 40 degrees below zero 1:01

If dealing with temperatures plummeting to minus 32C overnight wasn’t bad enough, the frozen residents of Chicago received a shock when the city was afflicted by a “frost quake”.

A series of loud booms across the US’ third largest city, which led some people to think their houses were falling apart, has been put down to the frost quake phenomena — more scientifically known as cryoseism.

The ground beneath people’s feet was quite literally ripping apart.

Tourists, unused to the cold, have spoken of how it felt like their eyeballs were freezing, while police have pleaded with criminals to take a break from committing crimes.

Transport chaos has seen trains, planes and a fair few automobiles come to a standstill with railway tracks set on fire to stop them cracking in the cold.

The deaths of 12 people have now been linked to the huge lick of Arctic air that has swept into southern Canada, the Midwestern and north eastern United States.

The bitter cold has been caused by a displacement of the polar vortex, a stream of air that normally spins around the stratosphere over the North Pole but whose current has been disrupted and is now pushing south.

Some people have perished when becoming trapped outside for relatively short periods of time. In Illinois, an 82-year-old man died from cold exposure when he slipped just outside his front door. A 38-year-old woman who died in her apartment may have had a malfunctioning thermostat.

A mum in Kansas was arrested when she allegedly left her two toddlers in a car with no heat. Temperatures in the area plummeted to -21C.

Previously, authorities said it was dangerous to leave shelter and if people were out they shouldn’t breathe too deeply for fear of frozen air reaching their lungs.

The town of Mount Carroll, 200 kilometres west of Chicago, recorded an unofficial overnight low of -39C on Thursday.

On Thursday morning at 8am the commute in Minneapolis was a bracing -31C.

The polar vortex is not done yet. It’s Thursday across the states and icy blasts are still on the cards.

This could lead to more of the “frost quakes” that have been plaguing Chicago and worrying residents.

“Heard two loud booms last night, thought my house was falling apart,” said Melissa Eckhardt on the Facebook page of WGN-TV.

“I thought I was crazy!” said Chastity Clark Baker. “I was up all night because I kept hearing it. I was scared and thought it was the furnace. I had everyone’s jackets on the table in case we had to run out of here.”

Others thought birds were attacking roofs or that thieves were breaking in.

In fact, what people heard was a seismic event called cryoseism caused by the expansion of frozen soil and rock.

Heavy snow and rain can saturate the ground. When that’s accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature the moisture freezes which leads it to expand and suddenly crack and break causing the booms and even earthquake-like shaking.

Talking to USA Today, Ball State University meteorologist Dave Call said to think of a bottle of liquid in a freezer, expanding and exploding.

“It’s more of a noise phenomenon, like a balloon popping, than a physical danger,” he said.

However, because frost quakes are so localised and relatively small in nature they are not picked up by seismographs so there is no record of them having occurred.

More than 8000 flights have been cancelled so far as the brutally cold weather disrupts airport operations, with Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports bearing the brunt of the cancellations.

Among the many problems brought by the extreme weather is planes and runways icing over and water sources on planes freezing up, as well as the difficulty of carrying out repairs.

Rail operator Amtrak has cancelled all its trains through the Midwest corridor, making long-distance travel almost impossible in vortex-struck areas.

In an incredible move, Chicago’s train system Metra started lighting the tracks on fire to keep them warm enough for trains to operate.

Snow and ice can clog the points used to keep the train rolling, so the gas-fuelled flames — which technically run alongside the tracks — keep the switch points warm so they don’t get clogged. It’s actually not uncommon for Metra to resort to the practice when the mercury drops below zero.

And while Americans are struggling with the historically low temperatures brought by the Arctic vortex, many visitors to the US have no idea what they’ve walked into.

Irish expat Louise Barry, who is in Chicago, told the Irish Times the weather was so cold it “felt like my eyeballs were freezing”.

“This weather is on a whole other level,” she said. “It’s eerily quiet as everything shut down on Wednesday as the temperatures plummeted. It hit -47C degrees in the morning!

“The cold is unbearable; walking home from work on Tuesday night as the temperatures hit -30C, the only part of my body exposed to the elements was my eyes. I’ve never experienced my eyeballs freezing but that’s exactly what it felt like was happening with the freezing wind.

“The winter weather can be deceptive as we have gorgeous bright blue skies, you wouldn’t think it was as cold. No one will be outside today as frostbite will occur after five minutes on any exposed skin.”

Police have even taken to social media to plead with criminals to take a break during the cold weather.

On Facebook, police in Maryland asked: “Those thinking about doing some crime tonight, It’s really super cold outside and only getting colder.”

Instead, the force suggested crims stay home and binge watch Netflix, read a book with some hot chocolate, or “watch old re-runs of COPS”.

Others have taken to social media to post images and videos of the weird effects the deep freeze is causing.

This includes pasta frozen so solid it can support the weight of a fork, T-shirts becoming petrified in gravity defying positions and hot water instantly turning into frozen smoke the second it hits hot air.

But the polar vortex’s days may be numbered with Thursday expected to be the last day of extreme cold. Temperatures should edge up from Friday. By Monday, Chicago could be on a balmy 10C — almost beach weather.

Atlanta, where the Super Bowl is due to be held, will go from temperatures in the single digits this week to mid-teens next week.

But while eyeballs will unfreeze and criminals will resume normal business, the cost of the polar vortex could be substantial.

Weather website AccuWeather has totted up the final bill of business, schools and museums forced to lose, insurance claims, flooding damage and increased heating costs at almost $AU7 billion. </s> At least eight people have died in the US Midwest as the region shivers in the grip of its worst cold snap in decades.

An Iowa student found dead outside a college building is among victims of the deadly freeze.

Hospitals have been treating patients reporting frostbite as life across a swathe of the nation grinds to a halt.

The iciest blasts may still come on Thursday. Ninety million people - a third of the US - have seen temperatures of -17C (0F) or below.

Some 250 million Americans overall have experienced the "polar vortex" conditions, but southern states such as Florida have escaped the brutal chill.
• How cold is it where you are?

How did the fatalities occur?
• University of Iowa student Gerald Belz, 18, was found unresponsive behind a campus building before dawn on Wednesday and later died in hospital. Officials said weather was a factor
• A 70-year-old Michigan man was found dead near his home in Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday. Officials said he was "inadequately dressed for the weather"
• Another Michigan man was also found frozen to death in his neighbourhood
• On Tuesday, a 55-year-old man froze to death in a garage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, having "apparently collapsed after shovelling snow", according to a medical examiner
• An 82-year-old in Pekin, Illinois, died from hypothermia just outside his home on Tuesday
• A 75-year-old man was fatally struck by a snow plough near Chicago on Monday. The driver has since been placed on paid leave pending an investigation, according to WGN9 News
• In northern Indiana, a young couple died after a collision on icy roads

Thursday could see America's third largest city of Chicago breaking its 1985 record low of -32C (-25F), according to meteorologists.

The chill is drifting eastward on Thursday, bringing sub-zero temperatures to Northeastern cities such as Boston.

Areas downwind of the Great Lakes are expected to be buried by intense lake-effect snow lakes into Thursday night.

The region near Buffalo, New York, should see the heaviest snowfall. Snow could fall at rates of 3in-5in (7cm-12cm) per hour.

The icy cold is expected to loosen its grip on Friday.

With wind chill factored in, the Midwest and Great Lakes have felt temperatures closer to -40C (-40F) and -53C (-63F), which is enough to cause frostbite in under five minutes.

But by the end of the weekend, Chicago could see temperatures as high as 10C (50F).

"It's going to be at least a 60-degree swing for Chicago," David Hamrick, a National Weather Service forecaster, told Reuters news agency.

How is the cold snap affecting daily life?

The Arctic weather could cost the US billions of dollars. In 2014, a similar polar freeze cost the country an estimated $5bn (£3.8bn), CBS News reported.

In Minnesota, residents have been asked by natural gas company Xcel Energy to reduce their home thermostats to 17C (63F) in order to help the company handle heating demands.

Michigan residents have had similar requests from their utility companies as providers struggle to keep the states warm.

Detroit, Michigan, has had over two dozen water mains freezing over this week. A city spokesman told the Associated Press the pipes were installed up to 1.8m below the frost line, but with such drastically low temperatures, the ground has still frozen through.

The US Postal Service has suspended all mail deliveries for the second day to parts of six states.

Over 2,300 flights have been cancelled and another 3,500 delayed due to the polar vortex.

As ice and snow continue to build up, roads have become increasingly dangerous across the northern US.

At least two people were critically injured in a 27-car pile-up on icy roads in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

In Minnesota, prison visits were cancelled over the cold, according to the New York Times.

The Illinois city became a frozen ghost town after temperatures fell to -30C (-23F), colder than parts of Antarctica.

A Good Samaritan paid for 70 homeless Chicagoans to stay in a hotel as temperatures dropped.

Salvation Army spokeswoman Jacqueline Rachev told the Washington Post: "It's a deadly situation for anyone. We're thrilled that someone was in a position to be able to do this."

Most of the thousands of cancelled flights this week were coming out of Chicago's airports - O'Hare International is ranked as one of the top 10 busiest airports in the world.

Amtrak also cancelled all trains into Chicago on Wednesday, affecting 55 trains, and said most would be cancelled on Thursday as well.

As the Midwestern city is one of the company's hubs, train service nationwide could also be impacted.

The chill was even too much for Chicago's Disney on Ice show, which cancelled its Wednesday performance.

Most of Canada was under some sort of weather warning - from extreme cold in the Prairies, Quebec and Ontario to heavy snows in Alberta and Nova Scotia.

In Toronto, where winters tend to be milder compared to cities such as Montreal and Ottawa, temperatures had plummeted to -18C (0F). Icy roads and several transit delays made for a hellish commute for millions of the city's residents.

Environment Canada issued extreme cold warnings for most parts of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, urging residents to limit their exposure to cold and keep pets indoors.

"If it's too cold for you to stay outside, it's too cold for your pet to stay outside," the weather agency warned.

Advocates expressed concern for homeless people living in cities hit by the extreme temperatures.

In Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, temperatures were a frigid -40C (-40F), with wind chill factors making it feel like -50C (-58F).

"If you don't get it in December, you will get it in January or February or March. What do you expect? It's 'Winterpeg'," Caroline Rodriguez told the CBC, in reference to the city's nickname.

In Calgary, Alberta, temperatures were a relatively balmy -3C (27F), but were expected to plummet overnight and through the weekends.

In parts of rural northern Alberta, 15in of snow were expected to fall. </s> • The polar vortex that brought deadly cold to the US is coming to an end, and temperatures could rapidly rise by as much as 80 degrees Fahrenheit this weekend.
• The warmer conditions will be welcomed after record-low temperatures disrupted towns and cities, and killed at least 21 people.
• But the rapid thaw could create some new problems like flooding, potholes, and burst pipes.
• Wintry conditions could also return to some parts of the US Midwest and Northeast next week, though it likely won't be as cold as during the polar vortex.

The deadly polar vortex that brought record-low temperatures to the US and killed at least 21 people is coming to an end — and temperatures could climb by as much as 80 degrees Fahrenheit this weekend.

The polar vortex brought temperatures lower than minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius), and forecasters predict that some places will become up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit higher than their lowest temperatures during the week.

The rebound in temperature could set its own records. Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the Weather Underground firm, said: "I don't think there's ever been a case where we've seen [such a big] shift in temperatures," according to The Associated Press.

"Past record-cold waves have not dissipated this quickly," he added. "Here we are going right into spring-like temperatures."

Read more: The polar vortex ravaging the US with extreme cold has killed at least 21 people

Ice builds up along the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago, on Thursday. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The more than 20 million Americans that experienced the life-threateningly low temperatures will likely welcome the milder weather after thousands of flights were canceled, schools were closed, and the US Postal Service suspended operations due to the severe weather.

But the speed at which much of the country is expected to get warmer brings its own problems.

Extreme cold followed by a quick thaw can damage roads, leaving them cracked and filled with potholes.

The heating and cooling of the pavement cause it to expand, contract, and then crack, The Weather Channel warned. Melted water from ice can get into those cracks and freeze overnight, expanding and making the cracks even bigger.

Cars and trucks driving over those cracks can break the road surface further, creating potholes.

People walk through the snow in lower Manhattan on Wednesday. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Meteorologist Brian Donegan wrote on The Weather Channel: "Since the temperature was so bitterly cold and is now expected to warm up significantly in the days ahead, road surfaces will become stressed due to that quick transition from freeze to thaw. This is why numerous potholes will likely form in the Midwest and Northeast."

Another problem that the rapid thaw can produce is the phenomenon of "ice jams" — the large chunks of ice created when a frozen river begins to melt, and which can get stuck or pile up in rivers. These can cause water to overflow and flood the surrounding area.

Melting icewater from surrounding areas can also flow into rivers and lakes, causing flooding.

Pipes can also freeze and burst.

Anthony Tornetta, a spokesman for the American Red Cross, told USA Today: "Unfortunately, this polar vortex is gripping a large portion of the country and frozen pipes is an unfortunate reality in some cases."

Read more:A polar vortex is engulfing the US. Here's what that really means, and why these events might be getting more common.

Photographers take pictures of the sunrise as temperatures hover around minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius) and wind chills nearing minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius) in Chicago on Thursday. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Some parts of the country may have to embrace the cold again

Some parts of the US may have to brace themselves for the return of winter weather after the warm spell, though it won't be as cold as the polar vortex.

Donegan, the meteorologist at The Weather Channel, predicted that the "mild pattern is not expected to be prolonged" for some parts of the country.

"Below-average temperatures might return to the Midwest and Northeast next week," he warned, though "the good news is that it likely won't be as harsh as this week's arctic blast."

Some branches of the National Weather Service (NWS) are warning people to prepare for cold weather next week after a warmer weekend.

The NWS in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, warned that an "Arctic chill" may return next week after a "great" weekend.

The NWS in Chicago predicts a significant increase in temperatures next week, with a high of 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) on Monday.

However, it warned of rain and ice over the weekend and into next week.
• Read more coverage of the polar vortex:
• Here's what it's like in one of the coldest cities in the US, where the windchill is in the -50s
• The frigid 'polar vortex' cold snap engulfing the US is so bad it can give people frostbite in 5 minutes
• From frozen lakes to indoor icicles, here are the most dramatic polar vortex photos from around the US that will make you want to stay inside
• Parts of the Midwest are colder than Antarctica due to a polar vortex. Can you guess which photo was taken where?
• A good Samaritan paid for hotel rooms in Chicago for 70 homeless people who were sleeping in tents with no source of heat during the polar vortex
• This is what Midwesterners actually do to stay warm in below-freezing temperatures </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Chicago's frozen shoreline

At least 21 people have died in one of the worst cold snaps to hit the US Midwest in decades.

Ninety million people - a third of the US - have seen temperatures of -17C (0F) or below. Some 250 million Americans overall have experienced the "polar vortex" conditions.

Hospitals have been treating patients reporting frostbite as parts of the country ground to a halt.

Temperatures are expected to swing to above average over the weekend.

Who are the victims?

Homeless people have been particularly at risk, with warming shelters set up across cities.

But some still braved the freezing conditions and one woman, aged 60, was found dead in an abandoned house in Lorain, Ohio.

A hospital in Chicago has already treated 50 patients for frostbite, and some may end up losing a limb, CNN reports. Half of those patients were homeless individuals , while others had jobs that required them to be outdoors.

Some people were found dead a short walk from their homes:

A Michigan man who froze to death in his neighbourhood had been "inadequately dressed for the weather", officials said

In a wind chill of -46C (-51F) an 18-year-old student was found unresponsive a short walk from his dorm on Wednesday and later died in hospital

On Tuesday, a man froze to death in a garage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, having "apparently collapsed after shovelling snow", according to a medical examiner

Dangerous roads have also been a factor in the deaths. A man was fatally struck by a snow plough near Chicago on Monday and in northern Indiana, a 22-year-old police officer and his wife died after a collision on icy roads.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption So what actually is a polar vortex...?

What's the forecast?

The icy cold is expected to loosen its grip on Friday.

By the end of the weekend, Chicago could see temperatures as high as 10C (50F).

"It's going to be at least a 60-degree swing for Chicago," David Hamrick, a National Weather Service forecaster, told Reuters news agency.

The sudden weather change coming this weekend may be the fastest warm-up on record, meteorologists say.

But as the temperatures abruptly turn warmer, US emergency officials warn of flooding and utility risks.

Pipes can burst with such temperature fluctuations, and rapidly melting snow and ice could cause flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency cautioned.

How cold did it get?

More than 30 record lows were broken across the Midwest.

Cotton, Minnesota, was the coldest place in the US on Thursday with a low of -48C (-56F) based on preliminary data.

Chicago passed the record low for 31 January, while Mount Carroll has probably beaten the Illinois record with a morning temperature of -39C (-38F).

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Chicago is using fire to melt snow on the railway and keep the trains running

Cities across Iowa have also broken temperature records.

The chill drifted eastward on Thursday, bringing sub-zero temperatures to north-eastern cities such as Boston.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Much of Chicago River has frozen over

With wind chill factored in, temperatures of -40C (-40F) in the Midwest and Great Lakes have felt closer to -53C (-63F), which is enough to cause frostbite in less than five minutes.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Snow plough in Buffalo, New York

How is the cold snap affecting daily life?

The Arctic weather could cost the US billions of dollars. In 2014, a similar polar freeze cost the country an estimated $5bn (£3.8bn), CBS News reports.

In Minnesota and Michigan, residents were asked by gas companies to turn down their home thermostats to help handle heating demands.

Consumers Energy, a natural gas provider in Michigan, had a fire on Wednesday morning that damaged equipment and temporarily affected how much gas could be sent out to customers.

Native American tribes in the northern Midwest states helped their members obtain heating supplies as many live in poor-quality housing, the Associated Press reports.

Andrea Cusack, a pharmacist in Michigan, began using her snowmobile to deliver essential prescriptions to snowed-in residents, according to the Lansing State Journal.

More than 2,300 flights have been cancelled and another 3,500 delayed due to the polar vortex.

Social media has been full of photos and memes showcasing just how shockingly cold the Midwest became.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Niagara falls covered with snow

What about Canada?

Areas across the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, and in the north, remain under extreme cold warnings.

But many parts of the country are moving towards more seasonable temperatures on Friday and over the weekend.

In Toronto, wind chills near -30C (-22F) were expected to continue early Friday before beginning to warm.

There were also winter storm and blizzards warnings active across the country from the east to the west coast.

Environment Canada was urging residents to limit their exposure to cold and keep pets indoors.

Canada did not experience a spate of deaths linked to the polar vortex like the US.

Stephen Hwang, an associate professor with the University of Toronto's department of medicine, suggested that Canadian cities and public health authorities probably had more experience dealing with the deep cold.

Most homeless shelters also already had protocols in place for when the extreme cold hits.

But he said it was still "fortunate" that cities like Toronto, where homeless shelters have been stretched for resources in recent months, did not see any cold-related deaths among its most vulnerable citizens. </s> A record-breaking cold wave has swept through the US Midwest, with 22 states hitting sub-zero temperatures. Among cities, Chicago dropped to a low of -30°C, slightly above the city’s lowest-ever reading of -32°C from January 1985. Minneapolis recorded 32°C and Sioux Falls (South Dakota) -31°C.

The extreme cold has been caused by a blast of Arctic air, which in turn is a result of what is known as a “polar vortex” event.

Essentially a low-pressure area, it is a wide expanse of swirling cold air surrounding both polar regions. The counter-clockwise flow of air helps keep the colder air near the poles. “Polar vortexes are not something new. The term ‘polar vortex’ has only recently been popularised, bringing attention to a weather feature that has always been present… However, when we feel extremely cold air from the Arctic regions at Earth’s surface, it is sometimes associated with the polar vortex,” the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains on its website.

So, when does the polar vortex cause extreme cold?

In winter, the polar vortex sometimes becomes less stable and expands. “Many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the [north] polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward with the jet stream,” NOAA explains. This is called a polar vortex event, defined by NOAA’s SciJinks as the “breaking off” of a part of the vortex. “Normally, when the vortex is strong and healthy, it helps keep a current of air known as the jet stream traveling around the globe in a pretty circular path. This current keeps the cold air up north and the warm air down south,” NOAA says. “But without that strong low-pressure system, the jet stream doesn’t have much to keep it in line. It becomes wavy and rambling. Put a couple of areas of high-pressure systems in its way, and all of a sudden you have a river of cold air being pushed down south along with the rest of the polar vortex system.”

Is all cold weather the result of a polar vortex event?

No. Though the polar vortex is always “hanging out” up North, it takes pretty “unusual conditions” for it to “weaken” for it to migrate far south, NOAA explains. It is not confined to the US either. “Portions of Europe and Asia also experience cold surges connected to the polar vortex. By itself, the only danger to humans is the magnitude of how cold temperatures will get when the polar vortex expands, sending Arctic air southward into areas that are not typically that cold,” it states. </s> A blast of Arctic-chilled air from the polar vortex has reached the US as temperatures drop to as low as -46C (-50F) in Chicago. Cities in the midwest opened warming shelters as temperatures plummeted well below zero. 'This storm poses a serious threat to the wellbeing of people around the state, and we will use every tool at our disposal to keep our residents safe,' said the Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, in a statement on Tuesday.

The freezing weather was caused by the polar vortex, a mass of freezing air that normally spins around the north pole. But this time it made its way south in the US.
The death toll from a North American cold wave caused by a polar vortex rises to at least 21 people.