Frigid air is blowing across the United States, dropping temperatures in many areas into the single digits and leading weather monitors to issue wind chill advisories and politicians to plead with residents to check on their neighbors.
A National Weather Service wind chill advisory for much of the Northeast for Wednesday into Thursday warns of "dangerously cold air" with strong winds that could result in frostbite if people don't put on their scarves, hats and gloves.
Here's a look at how the winter weather plaguing almost two-thirds of the country is playing out and what's to come.
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NORTHEAST, BUNDLE UP!
Residents across the Northeast have been warned: It's brutally cold and getting colder.
The National Weather Service said already cold temperatures in the region dropped to the mid-teens early Wednesday and were expected to fall to the single digits before the morning commute. It said an arctic front moving in from the north and west had a chance of producing wind gusts up to 40 mph by afternoon.
Nighttime? Even colder, with wind chills of about 15 degrees below zero in the New York metro area and 20 below farther north.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio urged people in the nation's largest city to prepare for temperatures expected to drop to 9 degrees on Wednesday night. He reminded them to watch over neighbors and relatives who may be at risk and asked service providers to check on their clients.
In Connecticut, officials urged people in need of shelter to call the 211 hotline as the state braced for a frigid blast. A cold-weather protocol activated by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy directs state agencies to coordinate with the hotline and the network of shelters to make sure the state's most vulnerable residents are protected from the cold.
New Jersey is cleaning up from a snowfall that caused slick roads and numerous accidents.
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MOVE OVER, SNOW; WELCOME, COLD
Ohio residents who sighed with relief as snowfall that caused hazardous road conditions moved out of the state were warned to prepare for single-digit temperatures and wind chills below zero.
Early snowfall Tuesday led to slow morning commutes and numerous traffic accidents across the state. A Highway Patrol trooper was among four people injured when a woman lost control of her car on a slick highway in Clermont County and struck a police cruiser.
The forecast for Wednesday into Thursday calls for temperatures below zero for most of the state and wind chills possibly as low as 20 to 30 below zero.
Duke Energy said it's prepared for increased demand but advised customers to check supplies of flashlights, batteries, bottled water and medicines. Columbia Gas of Ohio warned customers not to use ovens or ranges to heat their homes.
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MEANWHILE, IN THE S-S-SOUTH …
The coldest weather in about a year is expected to reach deep into Georgia by early Thursday. In metro Atlanta, which was brought to a standstill last winter by a few inches of snow, wind chills below 5 degrees are expected, but no snow is forecast.
In north Alabama, gusty winds could make temperatures in the single digits feel as though it's below zero.
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BRUTAL MIDWEST WIND CHILLS, TOO
Brutal cold and dangerous wind chills moving into Illinois prompted dozens of school districts, including Chicago Public Schools, to cancel Wednesday classes.
More districts are expected to decide early in the morning whether to close, and communities around the state are opening warming shelters.
In Chicago, where thousands of children walk to schools outside their neighborhoods, the district is keeping its school buildings open in case some still show up. Libraries and park district buildings also will be open during normal hours.
Temperatures in northern Illinois were expected to fall to about 7 degrees below zero overnight, with wind chills of minus 25 or colder, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Bardou said.
He said people should stay indoors, if possible, and cover all exposed skin if they must go out because frostbite can occur within minutes in such extreme cold.
State police caution drivers to stock their vehicles with extra water, food and warm clothing.
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40 BELOW: DANGEROUS DAKOTAS WIND CHILLS
Some schools in the Dakotas plan to start late or not hold classes at all on Wednesday because of expected wind chills that could drop to at least 40 below zero.
High temperatures across much of North Dakota and South Dakota are expected to stay below zero, and there's a wind chill warning in effect for much of both states through the morning.
Several eastern South Dakota districts, including Sioux Falls, have canceled classes.
Residents of the Dakotas dealt with another day of bone-chilling temperatures Tuesday as they dug out Tuesday from a record-setting winter storm.
The Alberta clipper that passed through the two states Monday dropped from 2 to 5 inches of snow, shutting down schools, leading to numerous traffic crashes and setting weather records. The 5 inches of snow recorded in Sioux Falls broke the city's 63-year-old record for the date, 3.9 inches, the National Weather Service said.
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… BUT NOT IN CALIFORNIA
A Central and Southern California winter heat wave has set records with highs topping 80 degrees.
Santa Maria's airport on Tuesday recorded a maximum temperature of 82 degrees, 2 degrees above records for the day set in 1962 and 1918. Santa Barbara's airport also hit 82 degrees, well above the 78 recorded in 1964.
Highs in the low to mid-80s set or tied records in Camarillo, in Burbank and at UCLA.
In San Diego County, Escondido's 87 beat the 86 recorded in 1969, and Alpine topped a 1969 record with a high of 82.
The National Weather Service said the heat will continue through Wednesday but cooler conditions beginning Friday could drop some areas into the 60s over the weekend.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (AP Photo/The Press of Atlantic City, Michael Ein)
