The Polar Vortex continued its grip on the Midwest Thursday with the coldest Arctic air in decades. At least five people are dead as a result of the bitter cold, widespread school closures continue, flights are grounded and mail delivery is still on hold in some states until temperatures warm up.
The extreme cold is responsible for at least five deaths.
An unidentified former member of the Ecorse City Council was found dead near a neighbor’s house Wednesday. The former councilman was reportedly clothed in inappropriate clothing for the cold and without a hat and gloves, the Associated Press reports.
In Detroit, a 70-year-old unidentified man was also found dead in front of a neighbor’s home Wednesday.
18-year-old University of Iowa student Gerald Belz was found dead on campus Wednesday morning, KCRG reports. The exact details leading up to his death are unclear, but officials told the news station that the cold weather was to blame.
An 82-year-old Peoria County, Illinois man was found dead after he tripped and fell outside his home and fell victim to the cold temperatures, NEWS 25 reports.
On Sunday, the body of 22-year-old Ali Gombo was discovered outside his sister’s home in Rochester, Minnesota, WCCO reports. Police say he went to a bar Saturday night and was dropped off at the home around 2:30 a.m. He didn’t have keys to the home and when he found the home locked he reportedly tried to wake his sister but she didn’t hear him. Gombo’s body was found the next morning. Authorities say he likely died of hypothermia trying to get into the home.
The break in the Polar Votex brought a wind chill of -66 degrees Fahrenheit in Minnesota early Wednesday and wind chills of -58 degrees Fahrenheit in Wisconsin and Iowa.
Several major Midwest universities remain closed Thursday, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of Minnesota, the University of North Dakota, the University of Wisconsin, the University of South Dakota and Iowa State University.
In a rare move, the cold prompted the U.S. Postal Service to ignore the popular saying, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Instead, the service has once again suspended service Thursday to parts or all of several Midwest states, including Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
More than 2,500 flights have been canceled as of Thursday morning, including more than 700 at Chicago’s O’Hare, according to Flight Aware.
Here’s a full breakdown of how different states in the Midwest are faring under the bitter cold:
Illinois
A state of emergency remains in effect for the state.
On Wednesday, 21 passengers on a Chicago-bound bus were rescued when the bus broke down on Interstate 55 near Springfield. The cause of the break down was gelled diesel fuel from the cold. The passengers endured cold temperatures on the bus for a significant amount of time before they were rescued, the Associated Press reports.
Temperatures dipped to -23 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday morning at Chicago’s O’Hare, with a wind chill of 49 degrees below zero. The last time temperatures dropped below -20 degrees Fahrenheit in the Windy City was Jan. 18, 1994.
Calling the brutal cold a “public health risk,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said city agencies are making sure homeless people are in shelters or offered space in five Chicago Transit Authority buses, the AP reports.
“These (conditions) are actually a public health risk and you need to treat it appropriately,” Emanuel said. “They are life-threatening conditions and temperatures.”
The Salvation Army told weather.com they are partnering with city officials to conduct well-being checks. It’s also providing meals at shelters, delivering cold weather gear packages and deploying mobile feeding and homeless outreach units to 31 locations in the city.
Chicagoland schools and most colleges in the state remain closed Thursday.
The Brookfield Zoo is closed on Thursday because of the frigid weather. This will be only the fourth time the zoo has closed during its 85-year history.
Other Chicago attractions closed Thursday include the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum.
Amtrak says it is restoring some train service in and out of Chicago Thursday after suspending all trains Wednesday. Typically, 55 trains come in and out of the Chicago hub.
To prevent train tracks from contracting under the bitter cold, Chicago transit authorities set fire to the tracks.
The Chicago Transit Authority noted that the extreme cold can cause mechanical issues so commuters should expect delays.
An unidentified good Samaritan reportedly picked up the hotel tab for 70 homeless people who were camped in tents in Chicago Wednesday. The offer apparently came after the Chicago Fire Department confiscated propane tanks the people were using to keep warm.
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, a state of emergency remains in effect through Friday. Schools were also closed throughout the state as temperatures plummeted.
“I want to make sure all state assets are available, including the Wisconsin National Guard if needed, to help communities across the state and keep people warm and safe,” Evers said.
(MORE: Here’s the Coldest It’s Ever Been in Your State)
The Ice Castles attraction, about 90 miles from Chicago on Lake Geneva, remained closed Thursday.
“The health and safety of our guests and our staff is our number one priority,” Ice Castles CEO Ryan Davis said in a statement. “No one should be outdoors for an extended amount of time in extreme sub-zero temperatures.”
Michigan
In Michigan, a state of emergency remains in effect. Hundreds of schools were canceled for Thursday and nonessential government offices were also closed, including the Capitol.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging residents to turn down thermostats to “65 degrees or less” after a fire erupted at a natural gas plant in Macomb County Wednesday.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said homeless shelters in the city were becoming “overloaded.” They also were filling up in Detroit.
“People don’t want to be out there right now,” said Brennan Ellis, 53, who is taking shelter at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
Numerous schools, attractions, government offices and business closed Thursday. Central Michigan University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, among others, are also closed.
Two dozen water mains froze in Detroit, the Associated Press reports.
Minnesota
The extreme cold cracked rail along the Minneapolis light-rail system, forcing trains onto a single track, the Associated Press reported.
The extreme cold prompted the Minnesota Department of Transportation to halt snowplow operations in 11 southeastern counties. MDot officials said the cold was causing mechanical issues with the snowplows.
As with most states gripped by the dangerous cold, schools, government offices and businesses remain closed.
Ohio
Numerous schools and universities, including the University of Toledo, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Akron and Bowling Green State and Youngstown State universities are closed Thursday. The Ohio State University canceled classes Thursday until 11 a.m.
In Toledo, all non-essential city offices are closed through Thursday. Courthouses, libraries and many county agencies in Toledo also will be shut down through Friday.
In Cleveland, county buildings and courthouses are closed.
Indiana
An Indiana State Trooper tweeted Wednesday that Interstate 65 was becoming a “parking lot with broken down semis.” Master Trooper Glen Fifield said the problem stems from fuel filters freezing and gelled fuel.
A Zebra died due to cold exposure in Carroll County. The Zebra got stuck in the fence and froze in the extreme cold.
The temperature fell to -11 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday in Indianapolis, which tied the record low for the date set in 1966.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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