Millions caught in icy grip as arctic front pushes south
The first winter blast of the new year now threatens 80 million Americans. There is snow in Tuesday's forecast from Idaho to New York, and this arctic front is pushing south.
The icy cold is even more dangerous than the snow. By Wednesday morning, wind chills will approach 50 below in some areas.
As sub-zero temperatures took hold of Chicago, so did the snow, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds. Nearly four inches blanketed the city overnight and caused hundreds of flight cancellations at Midway and O'Hare airports. The fast-moving snow is now heading east.
It's so cold that water management crews were forced to de-ice fire hydrants as the deep freeze set in.
"Even though it's below zero, it ain't too bad as long as we just keep moving," Chicago Water Department's Woodrow Johnson said.
Rail workers were heating switches with open flames just to keep them from freezing solid.
"Those are flames, but it's like your gas grill," said Meg Thomas-Reile, who works for Metra, Chicago's commuter rail link that provides just over 300,000 rides every day.
Thomas-Reile said there's a risk of derailment if this was not done.
"If a switch does not engage properly the train could derail," Thomas Reile said.
The relentless cold is also sweeping across much of the Midwest.
In Iowa, blinding snow caused a crash involving at least 20 vehicles. The scene spread out over a mile and shutdown Interstate 80.
"One car just sort of slipped and just hit the side, and one hit the other and it just became a domino effect," a witness said.
In Wisconsin, wind chills sent temperatures plunging to near minus 35 degrees. Officials warned it would only take minutes for frostbite to set in.
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, whiteout conditions forced dozens of schools to close early.
"They told us it was coming, we knew it was coming. I'm just glad they let out school early so we can get on the road and get home," a resident said.
Those hoping for a thaw will have to wait. Temperatures will hover around the single digits over the next few days.