One social media user filmed a video of a soap bubble freezing solid and then breaking in the dangerously cold weather that continued to shatter records across the midwest on Thursday, due to the polar vortex.

Chicago broke all-time low temperatures on Thursday morning, earning it the nickname Chiberia. There, the mercury dropped to -29C (-21F).

Polar vortex: midwest to creep out of icy grip after record lows </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> A pedestrian stops to take a photo by Chicago River as bitter cold phenomenon called the polar vortex has descended on much of the central and eastern United States - REUTERS

Tens of millions of people in the United States are bracing for a potentially life-threatening deep arctic chill forecast to hit swaths of the country on Wednesday.

Companies have told their workers to stay home, schools are closed and hundreds of flights have been canceled.

The US Postal Service - known for its commitment to bringing the mail whatever the weather - has even reportedly suspended deliveries in Iowa due to the severe cold.

Temperatures in almost a dozen states stretching more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) from the Dakotas to Ohio were forecast to be the coldest in a generation, if not on record.

"One of the coldest arctic air mass intrusions in recent memory is surging south into the Upper Midwest before spreading across much of the eastern two-thirds of the country," the National Weather Service said.

"Expect frigid temperatures, bitterly cold and life-threatening wind chills, likely leading to widespread record lows and low maximum temperatures from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley."

The cause is a swirl of arctic air that broke away from the polar vortex that usually encircles the North Pole.

The National Weather Service forecast temperatures between -10 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 to -40 Celsius) by Wednesday across the Midwest, with wind chills making it seem as cold as -65 degrees Fahrenheit in one area of Minnesota.

Chicago, America's third largest city, was expected to be colder than parts of Antarctica.

Authorities in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin put emergency measures in place to handle the frigid weather.

"We need everyone to do your part and make sure you and your families are prepared," said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Americans were asked to stay home if possible Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to be at their coldest.

Scores of schools, businesses and government agencies announced closures in multiple states.

"People exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite in a matter of minutes," warned the NWS.

Lawrence Gottlieb of the University of Chicago Medical Center said the threat was significant "when temps fall below zero, especially when there is a strong wind."

Some 160 warming centers were opened in Chicago, where temperatures could potentially equal or exceed the all-time record of -27 degrees Fahrenheit. With the wind chill, it would feel like -40 or -50, officials said.

"They are life-threatening conditions and temperatures," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told a news conference. In Minneapolis, officials allowed residents to stay on public buses and trains for warmth. The @NWSDesMoines regarding the upcoming cold in the Upper Midwst and Great Lakes: "This is the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced." https://t.co/OykrGHmgoU — Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 27, 2019 In the northeastern and southern United States, snow was falling. A cold emergency was declared in the US capital Washington, with additional services put on for the homeless. In Atlanta, some 300 flights were canceled Tuesday as the city prepares for the Super Bowl and more than 400 were canceled in Chicago, a major regional hub for US airlines. In Canada, the icy temperatures - stretching from Manitoba in the western Prairies region to the Atlantic seaboard - prompted a rare "hazardous" cold warning from the government. Environment Canada reported record-breaking snowfall at the Ottawa airport, where some 50 flights were canceled, with an accumulation of nearly a meter (more than three feet). An additional 200 flights were canceled at Toronto's airport. Scientists say climate change is causing more extreme weather, and one theory for polar vortex chills is that arctic air currents usually trapped around the North Pole are weakened and dislodged by a warming climate. WC MN we’re dealing w/some limited visibility in the open areas. Remember to turn those headlights & taillights ON and #MoveOver for those on the shoulder. This area was I-94 about 10 miles east of Moorhead. Road info https://t.co/UtVIO3kuBrpic.twitter.com/yZG4NRC5Th — Sgt. Jesse Grabow (@MSPPIO_NW) January 29, 2019 President Donald Trump used the occasion to again voice skepticism about climate change, tweeting: "What the hell is going on with Global Waming? (sic) Please come back fast, we need you!" But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which operates NWS, tweeted, "Winter storms don't prove that global warming isn't happening," with a link to a 2015 explanatory article. </s> Bitter Arctic air is blasting from the polar vortex into the US and bringing brutally cold temperatures. The polar vortex is a stream of cold air that spins around the stratosphere over the North Pole, but the current has been disrupted and is now pushing south into the United States. The result has been bitterly freezing temperatures, feet of snow, as lakes are frozen over and schools are shut.

Snow has affected the midwestern states, but is now pushing into northeastern US. Governors in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan declared emergencies as temperatures plunged as low as -32C in North Dakota, with wind chills as low as -52C in Minnesota on Tuesday. The National Weather Service said a wind chill of -32C can freeze skin within 15 minutes. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: “Keeping Michiganders safe during this stretch of dangerously cold temperatures is our priority.

“Such widespread, extreme conditions have not occurred in Michigan for many years and it is imperative that we are proactive with record-low temperatures being predicted by the National Weather Service.” Wednesday could be the coldest day ever recorded in Chicago with a forecast of -14F (-26C), but it’s possible the Windy City could break its all-time coldest temperatures of -27C. Officials warned Chicago residents to expect an unusually deep and dangerous freeze. Even the city’s supply of its signature deep-dish pizza was affected: one chain announced it would stop taking delivery orders at 8pm on Tuesday.

The wind chill will make temperatures feel as low as -50F (-46C) through Thursday, the National Weather Service said. What is the coldest temperature in the US today? Temperatures could reach lows of -30F to -40F (-34C to -40C) in parts of the Northern Plains and Great Lakes on Wednesday, the NWS said. Ricky Castro, a National Weather Service meteorologist, in Romeoville, Illinois: “This could possibly be history-making.” As much as two feet (60cm) of snow was forecast in Wisconsin, and six inches (15cm) in Illinois. </s> The polar vortex in the US is expected to see records tumble as temperatures reach minus 40F - and a town in Michigan called Hell freezes over.

Chicago is expected to break the city’s record of minus 26F (minus 32C), set more than 30 years ago as the cold snap intensifies.

Some nearby isolated areas could see temperatures as low as minus 40F (minus 40C), that would break the Illinois record of minus 38C set in 1999.

Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load

Milwaukee had similar conditions. Minneapolis recorded minus 26F (minus 32C) while Sioux Falls, South Dakota, saw minus 24F (minus 31C).

Wind chills reportedly made it feel like minus 49F (minus 45C) or worse.

Trains and buses in Chicago operated with few passengers as the hardiest commuters ventured out only after covering nearly every square inch of flesh against the extreme chill, which froze ice crystals on eyelashes and eyebrows in minutes.

The blast of polar air that enveloped much of the Midwest on Wednesday closed schools and businesses and strained infrastructure with some of the lowest temperatures in a generation.

The deep freeze snapped rail lines, cancelled hundreds of flights and strained utilities.

Crews in Detroit will need days to repair water mains that burst on 30 January, and other pipes can still burst in persistent subzero temperatures.

Temperatures are expected to improve later this week and more people are expected to return to work in the nation’s third largest city. </s> The polar vortex in the US continued inflicting severe conditions across the country on Thursday, with temperatures reaching minus 40F - and a town in Michigan called Hell quite literally freezing over.

Chicago was on track to break the city’s record of -32C (-26F), set more than 30 years ago as the cold snap intensifies.

Some nearby isolated areas could see temperatures as low as -40C (-40F), that would break the Illinois record of minus 38C (-36.4F) set in 1999.

Milwaukee had similar conditions. Minneapolis recorded -32C (-26F) while Sioux Falls, South Dakota, saw -31C (-24F).

Wind chills reportedly made it feel like -45C (-49F) or worse.

The blast of polar air that enveloped much of the Midwest on Wednesday closed schools and businesses and strained infrastructure with some of the lowest temperatures in a generation.

The deep freeze snapped rail lines, cancelled hundreds of flights and strained utilities.

Trains and buses in Chicago operated with few passengers as the hardiest commuters ventured out only after covering nearly every square inch of flesh against the extreme chill, which froze ice crystals on eyelashes and eyebrows in minutes.

Crews in Detroit will need days to repair water mains that burst on 30 January, and other pipes can still burst in persistent subzero temperatures.

Temperatures are expected to improve later this week and more people are expected to return to work in the nation’s third largest city.

Meanwhile, cities like Chicago reportedly experienced "frost quakes," a phenomenon caused by freezing and expanding water under the ground and causes earthquake-like effects.

See The Independent's live coverage of the polar vortex across the United States on Thursday as it happened below:

Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load </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> Tens of millions of Americans shivered for a second day as the mercury dipped to record lows in several states.

CHICAGO: Brutally cold temperatures gripped the US Midwest on Thursday (Jan 31), freezing water mains, causing power outages, canceling flights and straining natural gas supplies.

Tens of millions of Americans shivered for a second day as the mercury dipped to record lows in several states.

Ten deaths have been attributed to the sub-zero weather and a weekend snowstorm that deluged the same region. Many of the cold-related fatalities were in Michigan, where the governor said the death toll was still being confirmed.

Schools and businesses remained closed in several midwestern states, people were encouraged to stay home, and travelers were stranded by grounded flights and halted trains.

Natural gas supplies were under threat in Michigan and Minnesota. Authorities asked residents to reduce heat consumption wherever possible and decreased heating in government buildings.

Water mains froze in Detroit, Chicago and parts of Canada and power outages were reported in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Nearly 1,700 flights had been canceled in Chicago by Thursday afternoon. Airport crews worked in 15-minute increments on the tarmac to avoid frostbite.

Amtrak planned to begin restoring service to some trains after canceling all lines Wednesday in and out of Chicago.

The deadly, sub-zero temperatures were expected to lift on Friday, but the misery would not end quickly in the roughly dozen states most affected.

"We are not done yet. We've got another 24 hours where the weather will be at dangerous levels," Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer told a news conference.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said temperatures would slowly moderate, but the agency forecast wind chills Thursday would remain between -20 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 to -46 Celsius) over parts of the Upper Midwest.

The cold has frozen sections of Niagara Falls and sent blocks of ice floating down the river winding through Chicago's downtown.

MORE SNOW TO COME

The Arctic air mass that descended from its usual northern rotation on Wednesday caused the second coldest day ever recorded in the Windy City, where residents reported hearing "frost quakes."

Local television station WGN said booms heard by residents were likely frozen, water-saturated ground cracking under their feet.

The NWS said a low temperature of -21F (-29C) was recorded in Chicago on Thursday morning. The record low of -27F (-33C) was on Jan 20, 1985.

It said a historic low temperature for Illinois of -38F (-39C) had been reported in the town of Mt Carroll and was being reviewed before being declared a state record.

Record low temperatures were also reported in some towns in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Officials in multiple states warned that the extreme weather should be taken seriously, with the risk of hypothermia and frostbite setting in within minutes of exposure.

There were also concerns over another round of snow late Thursday, after a weekend snowstorm inundated the areas now frozen by Arctic cold.

"We've gone from snow to freezing temperatures, wind chill," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said at a news conference. "With more snow on the way, we're not out of the woods yet."

Hundreds of warming centers were opened for vulnerable residents such as seniors, and shelter capacities increased for the homeless.

Among the 10 reported dead this week was an 18-year-old University of Iowa student.

He was found unresponsive behind a campus building Wednesday morning, when wind chill temperatures in Iowa City were -51F (-46C), according to local TV station KCCI.

While officials warned residents to remain on guard as long as the sub-zero weather persisted, authorities in Michigan and Minnesota were also asking them to turn down their thermostats to conserve natural gas.

Supplies were strained due to high demand from home heaters and from a fire at a natural gas compressor station in Michigan, officials said.

"This is not over until noon tomorrow. And we are asking people to continue to keep the thermostat down," Michigan Governor Whitmer said.

General Motors and Fiat Chrysler suspended or curtailed operations at more than a dozen facilities in Michigan to conserve natural gas, the companies said.

City crews braved sub-zero weather to repair a number of frozen water main breaks that plagued Motor City neighbourhoods.

Chicago reported 22 broken water mains, 16 of which had already been repaired.

America's northern neighbour Canada was also contending with extreme cold, with frozen water pipes, snarled travel on a major waterway, and temperatures as low as -40F (-40C) on Wednesday. </s> SALT LAKE CITY — The United States has suffered a bit of a cold spell this week.

As headlines put it, a polar vortex descended upon the country. Areas in the Midwest experienced “once-in-a-generation” temperatures — 23 below zero in Chicago, 77 degrees below zero in Minnesota and 50 to 60 degrees below zero in Iowa.

So: Will Utah ever experience a polar vortex?

No, according to KSL meteorologist Kevin Eubank.

That’s because “polar vortex” is a made-up term, one that meteorologists laugh about, Eubank said.

Eubank said the term “polar vortex” is a headline-grabbing name for what's really just a cold storm. The low pressure, cold air floods down from the North Pole and descends upon Montana and sweeps eastward.
• Context: The National Weather Service defines a "polar vortex" as a counter-clockwise flow of cold air from the North Pole, adding that it's "only recently been popularized, bringing attention to a weather feature that has always been present."

So, no, Utah won’t experience that specific weather pattern. But it doesn’t mean Utah won’t experience temperatures similar to the Midwest’s chilly temperatures.
• “If you’re asking if a cold storm can come to Utah, if it has origins of the cold air at the pole, or, in essence, the Arctic — yes. We get polar air or arctic air to Utah all the time,” he said.

Still: Utah will experience temperatures as cold as Chicago, Minnesota and the Midwest had this week.

By the numbers: A quick look at the record books show Utah temperatures aren’t that uncommon from those we’ve seen in the Midwest.
• Peter Sinks, Utah, holds the record of the second-lowest temperatures in the contiguous 48 United States at minus 69 degrees Fahrenheit, which happened on Feb. 1, 1985.
• Roger’s Pass, Montana, has the coldest temperatureamong the 48 states with minus 70.0 degrees.
• Prospect Creek, Alaska, holds the overall record with minus 80 degrees, which occurred on Jan. 23, 1971.

This year: Peter Sinks experienced minus 40 temperatures this year, too, showing it’s possible for Utah to experience temperatures similar to what we saw in the Midwest, Eubank said.
• “You hear about this polar vortex and how crazy it is,” Eubank said. “Well it’s not that unusual, No. 1. And No. 2, Utah’s had temperatures that equal to or are colder than what they‘ve experienced over there.”
Several cities in the Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada reach record low temperatures for the third consecutive day as a polar vortex continues to affect the region.