Polar Vortex in the United States: all you need to know about the worst cold snap of the last 30 years – 30/01/2019

Because of the polar vortex, they are record dangerously low temperatures in a broadband of the Midwestern United States, which forces schools and universities to shut down and the governors of Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin to declare emergencies.

Here are some highlights of this brutal cold front.

– Wednesday, January 30 will be colder in the Midwest than in parts of Antarctica and Alaska

The scheduled maximum in Des Moines, Iowa, for this Wednesday will be 23 degrees under 0. Wednesday's maximum temperature at McMurdo Station in Antarctica will be less than 0 km, according to Weather.com. Fairbanks, Alaska, will also be warmer than Wednesday in Des Moines during the day, with a high of 15 to less than 0.

– More than 50 million people will be affected

A large extension, Dakotas in western Pennsylvania, is under the warnings of the National Meteorological Service.

– You could freeze in five minutes

With the wind chills in Minneapolis-St. Paul as low as -45 to -65 degrees between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning, the National Meteorological Service warns people that Any exposed skin could freeze in just five minutes.

– The last time Chicago faced such low temperatures was more than 30 years ago

The minimum temperature expected in Chicago Wednesday night was 32 degrees below zero. According to the National Weather Service, the last time it was so cold in Chicago, it was January 20, 1985. Chicago set a record of nearly 33 degrees below zero. With the icy wind, it could reach a temperature of almost 50 degrees below zero.

– Thousands of flights have been canceled

On Monday, January 28, 1986, flights were canceled across the country, including more than 1,400 supposedly flying to or from Chicago's O & H and Midway airports, according to the Flightaware website. On Tuesday 29, late afternoon, more than 1,800 flights had been canceled, including more than 500 flights to or from Chicago. About half of the flights to and from Midway were canceled on Tuesday.

– Hundreds of schools have been closed

Detroit and Milwaukee closed all public schools on Tuesday. Minneapolis closed the schools Tuesday and Wednesday. The Chicago Public Schools canceled all extracurricular activities on Tuesday and all clbades and activities on Wednesday. Many other public, private and parish schools in the area have also been closed.

– Hundreds of thousands of students will remain confined

Several Midwestern universities canceled their courses during the cold spell, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, the University of South Dakota and Kent State University.