Extreme Cold to Grip Wide Swathes of US

(MENAFN) Millions of Americans are preparing for a historic deep freeze poised to paralyze vast portions of the nation this week, even as cleanup operations from a colossal winter storm that buried regions under mountains of snow and ice pressed forward Monday.

Extreme cold warnings have been activated across much of central and eastern America, with a polar vortex projected to shatter temperature records throughout Southern and Northeastern territories this week. The bone-chilling conditions will severely hamper snow and ice removal efforts spanning dozens of states, as any surface melt will instantly solidify in temperatures hovering near or below zero.

Certain areas face the grim prospect of temperatures remaining below freezing until early February arrives. The Midwest faces particularly punishing arctic conditions in forecasts.

Minneapolis—the latest metropolis shaken by upheaval following US President Donald Trump's migrant crackdown—was bracing for temperatures to plummet to -13F (-25C) Monday. Meanwhile, typically mild southern hubs including San Antonio and Austin, Texas were forecast to barely reach 20F (-7C).

Wind chill factors are predicted to make actual temperatures feel significantly more severe across numerous regions nationwide.

The timing could hardly be worse for countless residents. Hundreds of thousands remain without electricity across 11 states, including over 58,000 customers in Texas, 245,000 in Tennessee, 153,000 in Mississippi, and 120,000 in Louisiana.

Nearly 800,000 people total have lost power, according to figures from the PowerOutagewebsite.

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