Cold wave closes schools, breaks records

The unrelenting cold wave sweeping a wide swath of the nation Tuesday shuttered schools and shattered records as forecasters warned that relief for millions remained several days away.

“Arctic air mass will bring a prolonged period of much-below-normal temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills to the central and eastern U.S. over the next week,” the National Weather Service tweeted.

Before the deep freeze thaws, a “major storm” will track near the East Coast that could bring snow, ice, blizzard conditions and frigid winds later this week, AccuWeather said. The storm could affect the length of the coast, from Maine to Florida.

“Arctic air will remain in place and will spread southward into Florida,” AccuWeather warned, adding that snow and ice could reach as far south as northeastern Florida.

The cold wave, which began creeping across the nation before Christmas, has enveloped a swath of the country from Montana and Texas to the East Coast. The Southeast wasn’t spared — Atlanta awoke to 13 degrees on Tuesday, and the high was forecast to barely rise above freezing.

In Bismarck, N.D., police said cold weather “may have been a factor” in the death of a 52-year-old man whose body was found lying in the snow.

In Indiana, the 30,000 students in the Indianapolis school system were kept home because of “dangerous weather conditions.” The temperature at 7 a.m. was minus 11 degrees with a wind chill mark below minus 20.

In Ohio, Cincinnati’s 35,000 students had their holiday break extended at least a day when authorities closed the schools because of the cold. Other districts, including Canton, shut schools for the day.

On the other hand: At 48 degrees, Anchorage’s Merrill Field Airport was warmer at midday Tuesday than almost the entire Lower 48 states, including cities such as Jacksonville, Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans.