Life-Threatening Cold to Grip Dakotas to New York

Dangerously cold air, perhaps the coldest of this entire winter season, is poised to invade the eastern half of the country over the next few days. In many places, if actual temperatures don't fall below zero, brutal winds will make it feel that way with life-threatening conditions resulting.

Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Indianapolis andMinneapolis are all included in the zone where AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures will be below zero at some point this weekend or early next week. RealFeel® temperatures provide a measure of how cold it will feel with the wind factored in.

Across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, these values will be below zero for as long as 36 or 48 hours. In Minneapolis, the actual temperature will stay below zero for this long. Cold this extreme can quickly lead to frostbite and life-threatening hypothermia.

What is even more alarming is that a major snowstorm will precede the cold blast from the Midwest to the Northeast. Snow, blowing snow, icy roads, and whiteout conditions will significantly increase the risk of travelers getting stranded out in the horrendously cold air.