Snow and sub-zero temperatures grip the US

(Patria) - The US is freezing. Officials, writes CNN, warn that frostbite occurs very quickly as temperatures in many places are well below zero.

Some state offices have already been closed, and postal workers will not deliver mail in as many as six states, while in four other states they will not work in certain regions. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, dozens of trains are not running, and most of that in Chicago.

 

The Chicago River freezes as the vortex sets in. It’s been open water for most of the winter. Will probably be solid ice very soon. pic.twitter.com/pVRwNAVOIz

— Mitch Smith (@MitchKSmith) January 29, 2019

 

A severe winter will affect about 212 million people in the coming days, almost two-thirds of the US population. Around 83 million of them will be particularly affected by the winter between Wednesday and Monday, warns CNN.

There have also been the first human casualties. Since the beginning of the week, three people have died from cold and frostbite, and authorities are persistently urging people, especially the elderly and sick, to stay indoors and not go out into the "coldest air in a generation," as experts call it.

Chicago will be the "epicenter of extreme cold" in the coming days, meteorologist Dave Hennen tells CNN. A temperature of 27 degrees below zero is expected on Thursday morning. The highest daily temperature this afternoon will not be higher than 15 degrees below zero.

As CNN writes, it is less cold in Antarctica than in Chicago these days.

More than 2,700 flights were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday, and as many as 1,550 were supposed to depart from or arrive at Chicago airports.

Mail delivery will not function in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, as well as in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska.