If you thought winter was taking it easy this year, think again. A powerful arctic blast has gripped much of the central U.S., sending temperatures plummeting to dangerously low levels. From Montana all the way down to Texas and stretching east past the Mississippi River, millions of Americans are waking up to freezing or below-freezing conditions.
“It’s the kind of cold that just drains you,” meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “You don’t even want to get out of bed.” And she’s not exaggerating—wind chill values in parts of Montana dipped as low as -51°F on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, cities like Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines, and Minneapolis are all dealing with wind chills below -20°F.
Even in the South, where winter usually isn’t so brutal, the cold is making an impact. Temperatures have dropped into the teens in places like Kansas City, Wichita, and Oklahoma City. Dallas is also feeling the freeze, marking its coldest stretch since the massive winter storm of 2021. The deep freeze is causing real problems, from frozen pipes to busted water mains, leaving residents scrambling to stay warm.
While blasts of arctic air aren’t unusual this time of year, this one is particularly harsh. It’s bringing record-breaking lows and pushing cold air all the way to the Gulf Coast and South Texas, where morning temperatures are in the 20s. And it’s not over yet—by Friday, even cities in the Southeast, including Memphis, Birmingham, Macon, and Charleston, could set new record lows for February 21.
So if you’re anywhere in the path of this deep freeze, bundle up, stay indoors as much as possible, and keep an eye on those pipes—it’s going to be a rough few days!
