Polar Vortex Hit North America

A frigid, arctic air mass known as the “polar vortex” brought dangerous, life-threatening low temperatures and wind chills to parts of the central and eastern United States and southern Canada on January 7. Wind Chill Advisories and Warnings are in effect for much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States with wind chill values as low as -20F to -50F possible. U.S. authorities have blamed a total of 15 deaths on the cold, 11 of them from traffic accidents. The extreme cold halted transportation in southern Ontario on Tuesday (1/7). An overnight wind chill of about -40C in the Toronto area is causing problems at Pearson International Airport. An intense storm hit the province of Quebec Sunday (1/5) and Monday (1/6) with snow, freezing rain, rain and high winds. Some areas have experienced extreme wind chills of -43.