Bitter cold and a bomb cyclone are exploding across the country just in time to ruin holiday plans.
The frigid blast of Arctic air is hitting millions of Americans from the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast.
"This is not like a snow day when you were a kid; this is serious stuff," President Joe Biden said.
AP
The below-zero blizzard is dropping visibility in Kansas to near zero. In Denver, temperatures plunged briefly to 24 degrees below zero in the city’s coldest day since 1990.
"We really tell people to limit their exposure outside," said Kelly Serr, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service. "It's a matter of minutes, five to 10 minutes, and your skin can start freezing."
Volunteers scrambled to help anyone without a place to stay get warm, and they urged anyone to spread the word about open shelters.
Winter Weather Causing Hundreds Of Flights To Be Cancelled Or Delayed
The National Weather Service reported 190 million people are under winter weather advisories.
In Colorado Springs, shelters filled up quickly.
"We're going to be doing everything we can to make sure people stay alive," said Travis Williams, the chief development officer at Springs Rescue Mission.
In Florida, freezing temperatures are threatening crops like citrus and strawberries.
"This is essentially what we’re trying to protect right here, because that’s the future berry," said Nick Wishnatzki, with Wish Farms.
But the freeze isn’t stopping joggers and dog walkers in Denver’s Washington Park, where temperatures dipped 15 degrees below.
