• The temperature in Colorado was 42F. On Friday, it dropped to a record low of -9F.
• Cheyenne, Wyoming, set a record for the biggest drop in temperature in one hour.
• Nearly a dozen low-temperature records were also set in nearby Montana.

Experts say that the dangerously low temperatures that are wreaking havoc across the US and Canada can cause frostbite on bare skin in as little as five to ten minutes.

A strong winter storm in the Arctic has put more than 135 million people on weather alerts for the weekend, just before the busiest travel days of the year.

The warnings go from coast to coast and as far south as the US-Mexico border and the Sunshine State, Florida.

As the storm gets worse, thousands of flights at major airports have been cancelled.

Forecasters say that this cold spell could make Christmas the coldest in decades.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said that some parts of the country could see temperatures between -50F (-45C) and -70F by the end of this week.

They warned that frostbite will be a big problem even in big cities like Des Moines, Iowa.

Frostbite happens when blood flow is cut off, usually to the nose, cheeks, fingers, or toes. When there isn’t enough warm blood, tissues can freeze and break, and in some cases, they have to be cut off.

Meteorologists say that by Friday, the winter storm could turn into a “bomb cyclone.”

The term “bomb cyclone” is used to describe a storm that gets stronger quickly and has a centre where the air pressure drops by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.

President Joe Biden said at a White House briefing on Thursday, “This is not like a snow day when you were a kid. This is serious stuff.”

The Arctic air mass is expected to bring strong wind gusts and a temperature of 15F (-9.4C) to El Paso, Texas, where recently arrived undocumented migrants are sleeping on the streets.

Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York state, called a state of emergency because of the storm.

She said that the threat of flooding and ice jams was going to cause a lot of trouble in the area. When big pieces of ice block the flow of a river, this is called an ice jam. Ice jams can cause flooding.

The governors of Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma have also declared states of emergency. The governor of Wisconsin has declared a “energy emergency.”

Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, said that the weather is “unique and dangerous,” especially since many people travel to be with their families for Christmas.

It’s likely that Florida will have its coldest Christmas in 30 years.

The NWS called it a “once-in-a-generation” winter weather event and said on Thursday that “life-threatening wind chills” will hit the east coast on Friday.

Damage and power outages are likely in the Midwest and Canada because of the snow and strong winds.

The NWS said that over the next few days, more than 100 daily cold temperature records could be tied or broken.

On Thursday, the temperature in Colorado was 42F. On Friday, it dropped to a record low of -9F. Cheyenne, Wyoming, set a record for the biggest drop in temperature in one hour when it went from 43F to 3F in just 30 minutes. Temperatures have dropped as low as -35F in other parts of the western state.

Nearly a dozen low-temperature records were also set in nearby Montana
Both North Dakota and South Dakota have been hit by blizzards.
A winter storm warning is in place for Chicago until Saturday. The storm will bring several inches of snow and winds that can reach up to 50 mph (80 km/h).

In Canada, most of Ontario and parts of Quebec are getting ready for a big winter storm that is expected to last through the Christmas weekend.
FlightAware, which keeps track of flights, says that more than 5,300 US flights have already been cancelled on Thursday and Friday.

In case there are problems with travel, big airlines like United, Delta, and American have said that people who want to change their flights won’t have to pay extra.

Wednesday, roads along the border between Colorado and Wyoming were closed because it was almost impossible to see.

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