The office of the Weather Service in Bismarck, N.D., described the conditions as “life threatening,” cautioning that wind chills in western and central North Dakota could lead to hypothermia. Subzero wind chills are also expected to extend as far south as Texas, Arkansas and western Tennessee and Kentucky.

Record-breaking cold and dangerously low wind chills are expected this week in much of the Central and Eastern United States.

An Arctic blast tied in part to the polar vortex is driving record frigid air south from the Northern Plains toward the Gulf Coast Wednesday in a cold snap that will last the entire week. Threat level: This event is setting daily record cold temperatures and is forecast to bring for the coldest temperatures on record for this late in the season.

A storm brought snow, ice to parts of Mississippi on Tuesday and Wednesday. See how long extreme cold warning because of Arctic blast will last.