Dangerously low temperatures swept into large portions of the U.S. through the Midwest and into the South and East overnight, as a split in what's called the polar vortex allowed for far colder weather than many areas were used to experiencing.
In Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin drew some pushback Tuesday for suggesting that America was "getting soft" because of some school districts’ decision to cancel classes ahead of the temperature drop.
“Now we cancel school for cold,” an exasperated Bevin said during an interview on Louisville radio station WHAS-AM.
WINTER STORM SLAMMING MIDWEST TO BRING SNOW TO SOUTH, NORTHEAST AHEAD OF POLAR VORTEX BLAST
The National Weather Service said Tuesday that “one of the coldest arctic air intrusions in recent memory,” was anticipated to cover the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes through Thursday. The service warned that a wind chill of minus-25 can freeze skin within 15 minutes and induce frostbite within 5 minutes.
Homeless shelters have been scrambling to protect vulnerable people with nowhere to go, including turning some city buses into mobile warming shelters.
Residents clear a path to a series of mailboxes outside a multi-family home in Kewaskum, Wis. (West Bend Daily News via AP)
"That wind chill out there is not even a joke," said Hawaii native Charles Henry, 54, who was staying at a shelter in St. Paul, Minn. "I feel sorry for anybody that has to stay outside."
"You're going to freeze or lose a limb," a senior adviser to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan warned people who refuse to seek help.
Hundreds of public schools and several large universities from North Dakota to Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday or planned to do so Wednesday.
Chicago's L trains move along snow-covered tracks. (Associated Press)
Elsewhere, many public services have come to a halt. The U.S. Postal Service, for example, has taken the rare step of temporarily suspending mail delivery in parts or all of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois.
In Chicago, attractions like the Lincoln Park Zoo, Art Institute, and Field Museum were being closed Wednesday. Meanwhile, governors in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan have declared states of emergency.
More than 3,000 flights were delayed on Tuesday and at least 2,200 were canceled throughout the U.S., according to FlightAware. Flights and cancellations are expected to exceed those numbers through Wednesday.
At least six deaths were linked to the weather system, including a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area, a young couple whose SUV struck another on a snowy road in northern Indiana and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is shown during a tour for the NFL Super Bowl LIII football game. (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, snow forecasts in Atlanta have stoked concerns that the city won't be able to host Super Bowl LIII on Sunday. Forecasters have warned that streets could still be icy when fans arrive, with temperatures expected to drop more than 20 degrees during the day.
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The concerns have conjured up memories of 2000, the last time Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl, when severe weather disrupted public transportation, and in 2014 when winter snow turned the city into a parking lot.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday issued a statement indicating he would not close state government offices on Wednesday but encouraged state leaders to exercise discretion should weather conditions warrant a closure.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.