Bitter cold is taking hold across the United States on Thursday, with millions waking up to freezing temperatures and in some areas, subzero wind chills.
The blast of frigid temperatures follows days of snowy, icy conditions across much of the country. It's bringing the coldest air of the season so far to the Midwest and the Northeast.
About 10 record lows are possible Thursday morning and 20 are likely Friday morning.
In Indiana, the cold has already forced a major Christmas market to shut down for the day. Upstate New York faced lake-effect snow and thunder Wednesday night, setting the stage for freezing temperatures Thursday.
Thousands in New York City bundled up to brave dropping temperatures as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was lit, ushering in the holiday season Wednesday night.
It's unusually early for temperatures this cold in numerous cities, marking the earliest such readings since 1991 in some places.
The extreme cold is originating in Siberia and being funneled across the globe to the U.S. — a 5,000-mile-plus trek that is leading to record lows in cities across the country.
It feels like minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit in Des Moines, Iowa, early Thursday and minus 9 in Marquette, Michigan. Other places in the Midwest are faring better, with wind chill temps in the single digits.
Some cities in the South, such as St. Louis, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee, are also seeing temperatures way below average.
The cold will continue into Friday morning, when New York City is expected to feel a wind chill of 12 F, and Chicago will feel a wind chill of minus 10.
As the Arctic front charges across the Northeast on Thursday, it will bring the risk of snow squalls across much of New York state, Vermont and New Hampshire. Northern Pennsylvania will also be at risk.
While snow squalls don't accumulate much snow, they occur suddenly as intense bursts of wind and snow, causing whiteout conditions on roadways and leading to deadly pileups.
During this week's snowstorms, state police in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont said they responded to more than 150 car crashes as the region received anywhere from a few inches to a foot of snow and icy roads, NBC Boston reported.
Light to moderate snow is also possible in the central Plains and the mid-Atlantic.
A winter weather advisory is in place for the Texas Panhandle into central Oklahoma for the risk of a couple of inches of snow and sleet through Thursday afternoon.
Parts of northern North Carolina and central Virginia are also under a winter weather advisory, where 2 to 4 inches of snow is possible Thursday night into Friday.
And in the Rockies, heavy ice and snow are creating dangerous whiteout conditions, especially for drivers. Officials said more than 50 cars slid off a busy highway in Colorado on Wednesday. At Denver International Airport, more than 600 flights were delayed and canceled because of the winter weather.
It is not expected to warm up rapidly, with colder-than-average temperatures lingering into the weekend.
By next week, the western half of the country will see higher-than-average temperatures, while the eastern half will remain under a cold spell with cooler-than-average temperatures.
