Record-breaking cold hits Midwest

CHICAGO—An “arctic airmass” from Siberia will bring record lows to the Midwest on Tuesday and Wednesday. The snow that blanketed the region has moved into parts of the Northeast, which could see up to a foot of frozen precipitation and “hazardous travel conditions,” according to the National Weather Service.

How cold will it get? The forecast high for Chicago on Tuesday is only 21 degrees, seven degrees lower than the previous record set for Nov. 12. Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights at the cities’ two airports. Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa all saw temperatures in the single digits on Tuesday morning, and Minnesota’s Twin Cities on Monday had the coldest high temperature for that day in three decades at 18 degrees. Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing as far south as the Texas Gulf Coast.

Dig deeper: Find updated information at the National Weather Service website.