Deep Freeze Grips U.S. Midwest, Linked to At Least 12 Deaths, Says Reuters

By Suzannah Gonzales

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A wave of frigid polar air swept into the U.S. Midwest on Wednesday, bringing dangerously low temperatures that led to at least three additional fatalities. The severe cold halted mail deliveries and forced many residents, known for their resilience during winter, to stay indoors.

Schools across the Midwest, including Chicago—home to the nation’s third-largest school district—canceled classes for both Wednesday and Thursday. Authorities warned of an increased risk of accidents on icy roads. In Michigan, all state offices were announced to remain closed until Thursday.

In an uncommon decision, the U.S. Postal Service suspended deliveries in parts ranging from the Dakotas to Ohio, diverging from its usual commitment to deliver mail regardless of the weather.

Since Saturday, numerous deaths attributed to the extreme cold have been reported across Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, according to officials and local news reports.

Illinois State Police came to the aid of 21 individuals stranded on a charter bus that broke down in sub-zero temperatures along Interstate 55 near Auburn, after its diesel fuel gelled in the engine.

Tragic incidents included the discovery of a 70-year-old man dead on a Detroit street. Additionally, a former city councilman in his 70s was found deceased in Ecorse, dressed only in sleepwear. A University of Iowa student, Gerald Belz, was also found dead outside a campus building; his death is believed to be weather-related.

In Chicago, streets were largely deserted, with few people braving the bitter cold as temperatures dipped to around 18 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 28 Celsius).

"It’s terrible!" exclaimed Pasquale Cappellano, a 68-year-old waiter, while waiting for a bus on the city’s North Side. "I gotta pick up my medication or else I wouldn’t be out."

In Minneapolis, where temperatures dropped to minus 14 F (minus 26 C), Brian Pierce decided to venture outside, observing cars struggling for traction on icy roads. "The roads sound really weird, it seems there’s a lack of grip," he noted.

Wind chill values in areas of the Northern Plains and Great Lakes plummeted to minus 42 F (minus 41 C) in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and 31 degrees below zero F (minus 35 C) in Fargo, North Dakota. The chilling winds started affecting the U.S. East Coast later that day, causing a further drop in temperatures.

More than a thousand flights—nearly two-thirds of those scheduled—were canceled at Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway international airports. Additionally, Amtrak suspended all train services in and out of Chicago on Wednesday.

At Morning Joy Farm in Mercer, North Dakota, Annie Carlson reported that her horses and sheep were well despite the cold. "They can go into the barn if they wish. They’re snuggled in, warm and toasty," she shared, adding that her chickens and ducks enjoyed a warmer environment inside a greenhouse-like structure.

Meteorologist Andrew Orrison reported that International Falls, Minnesota, recorded some of the coldest wind chills at minus 55 F (minus 48 C), noting even the South Pole was warmer, with expected lows of minus 24 F (minus 31 C) including wind chill.

Temperatures in Chicago were forecasted to dip sharply again Wednesday night, potentially breaking the record low of minus 27 F (minus 33 C) set on January 21, 1985.

Banks and stores closed for safety reasons, and a major trash collection service announced the cancellation of pickups in several counties across the Midwest.

The extreme cold was attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex—an air current around the North Pole that has shifted southward.

In response to the harsh conditions, officials opened warming centers throughout the Midwest. In Chicago, police stations welcomed those in need of shelter, and five city buses were used as mobile warming centers for the homeless. Officers distributed hats, jackets, and blankets to help those braving the cold.

The Chicago Police Department encouraged people to seek shelter from the cold without enforcing mandatory evacuation. Meanwhile, energy analysts predicted increased heating usage across the U.S.

Residents in certain areas north and northwest of the Twin Cities in Minnesota were urged by local energy providers to lower their thermostats to 60 F (16 C) due to stresses on the natural gas supply system.

The Michigan Agency for Energy confirmed that utility companies in the state had agreed not to terminate gas or electric services for delinquent payments for the remainder of the week.