Colder in Chicago than in Antarctica: the United States is blowing cold and cold related to the polar vortex

In the United States, tens of millions of people are preparing for a forecast of potentially deadly Arctic cold that is expected to hit the country on Wednesday.

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

The US Postal Service – known for its commitment to ship mail regardless of the weather – would have even suspended deliveries in Iowa because of the intense cold.

Temperatures in nearly a dozen states extending over more than 1,930 kilometers from the Dakotas to Ohio are expected to be the coldest of a generation, if not more. is saved.

"One of the coldest cold air mbad intrusions of recent history is spreading in the US Upper Midwest before spreading in most of the eastern two-thirds of the country," announced the National Meteorological Service.

"Expect freezing temperatures, extremely cold temperatures and wind chills, which can lead to record lows and generalized maximum temperatures from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Valley." 39; Ohio. "

The cause is a whirlwind of Arctic air that is detached from the polar vortex that generally surrounds the North Pole.

The National Weather Service predicts temperatures between -23 ° C and -40 ° C by Wednesday in the Midwest.

Chicago, the third largest city in America, should be cooler than parts of Antarctica.

Authorities in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin have put in place emergency measures to deal with the freezing cold.

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

Americans were asked to stay home, if possible Wednesday, when temperatures should be coldest.

Dozens of schools, businesses and government agencies have announced closures in several states.

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

Some 160 warming centers have been opened in Chicago, where temperatures could reach or exceed the all-time record of -32 ° C.

"These are dangerous conditions and temperatures for life," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at a press conference.

In Minneapolis, authorities have allowed residents to stay on buses and public trains to warm up.

In the northeastern and southern United States, the snow was falling.

A cold emergency has been declared in Washington, the capital of the United States, and additional services have been put in place for the homeless.

In Atlanta, some 300 flights were canceled Tuesday as the city geared up for the Super Bowl and over 400 more were canceled in Chicago, the major regional hub of US airlines.

Scientists say that climate change is causing more extreme weather events, and one of the theories regarding polar vortex shivers is that arctic air currents generally trapped around the North Pole are weakened and dislodged by global warming.

President Donald Trump took the opportunity to once again express his skepticism about climate change, tweeting: "What's going on with Global Waming? (Sic) S & P. please, come back soon, we need you! "

But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which runs NWS, tweeted, "Winter storms do not prove that global warming is not happening," with a link to a explanatory article of 2015.