Share

Deadly, bone-chilling cold grips wide swath of US

Milwaukee - Bone-chilling cold gripped much of the US as 2018 began, breaking century-old records and leading to several deaths that authorities attributed to exposure to the dangerously low temperatures.

The National Weather Service issued wind chill advisories and freeze warnings on Tuesday covering a vast area from South Texas to Canada and from Montana through New England. Authorities opened warming shelters in the South as temperatures dipped notably close to zero in Alabama and Georgia.

The bitter cold wave enveloped much of the Midwest on Monday, yet that didn't deter hundreds of people from ringing in the new year by jumping into Lake Michigan.

Throngs of people took part in the Polar Plunge in Milwaukee, despite sub-freezing temperatures and a warning of potential hypothermia from the local fire chief.

Organisers cancelled a similar event on the Chicago lakefront, after the temperature there dipped below zero and thick white steam rose from the lake. Organisers said the arctic blast made jumping into the lake too dangerous.

Temperatures plunged below zero elsewhere in the Midwest, including in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where the mercury dropped to a record-breaking -36C. The city's previous New Year's Day record had stood for 99 years.

In Nebraska, temperatures hit 15 below zero (-26C) before midnight on Sunday in Omaha, breaking a record low dating to 1884. Omaha officials cited the forecast in postponing the 18th annual New Year's Eve Fireworks Spectacular that draws around 30 000 people.

It was colder in Des Moines, Iowa, where city officials closed a downtown outdoor ice skating plaza and said it wouldn't reopen until the city emerged from sub-zero temperatures. The temperature hit 20 below zero (-29C) early on Monday, with the wind chill dipping to negative 31 degrees (-35C).

The weather service says that early morning temperatures on Tuesday in Indianapolis tied a record low of minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-24C) for January 2, set in 1887. Indianapolis Public Schools cancelled classes for Tuesday on all its campuses due to the predicted sub-zero temperatures. Students had been scheduled to return from winter break.

In northeastern Montana, the wind chill readings dipped as low as minus 58 (-50 Celsius). And in Duluth, Minnesota, a city known for its bitter cold winters, the wind chill dipped to 36 below zero (-38 Celsius).

Plunging overnight temperatures in Texas brought rare snow flurries as far south as Austin, and accidents racked up on icy roads across the state. In the central Texas city of Abilene, the local police chief said more than three dozen vehicle crashes were reported in 24 hours.

Warming shelters were opened across the South as freeze watches and warnings blanketed the region, including hard freeze warnings for much of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The cold has been attributed in at least eight deaths in the past week. 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
What is a non-negotiable when considering the election manifestos from various parties?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
A solid plan for load shedding
15% - 443 votes
Bold climate change objectives
1% - 30 votes
Roadmap for economic recovery
51% - 1533 votes
Solutions to SA's crime crisis
33% - 977 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.02
-0.6%
Rand - Pound
23.97
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.53
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.6%
Platinum
894.10
-0.3%
Palladium
996.00
-0.6%
Gold
2,196.05
+0.1%
Silver
24.45
-0.8%
Brent-ruolie
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,848
+0.3%
All Share
74,067
+0.2%
Resource 10
56,251
+1.1%
Industrial 25
103,518
+0.2%
Financial 15
16,466
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE