Classes were cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday in the Midwest, including Chicago, which has the nation's third-largest school system. Police warned of the increased risk of accidents on icy highways. Michigan announced that all state offices would also be closed through Thursday. The US Postal Service, known for delivering mail in all conditions, suspended deliveries in parts of the Dakotas through Ohio. At least twelve deaths related to extreme cold weather have been reported since Saturday in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. In Illinois, State Police officers rescued 21 people stranded in a charter bus that broke down in sub-zero temperatures along Interstate 55 near Auburn after the vehicle's diesel fuel froze in the engine. A 70-year-old man was discovered deceased on a residential street in Detroit, according to a spokesperson for the Detroit police. In the nearby community of Ecorse, a former city councilman in his 70s was also found dead while wearing sleepwear. Additionally, a University of Iowa student, identified as Gerald Belz, was found dead outside a building on campus early Wednesday, with the school attributing his death to the weather. In Chicago, the streets were deserted and few people were seen walking outside due to the extremely cold temperatures, which were around 18 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 28 Celsius). Pasquale Cappellano, a 68-year-old waiter, expressed his dismay while waiting for a bus on Chicago's North Side, stating "It's terrible!" He mentioned the need to pick up his medication at Walgreens before leaving the house. Meanwhile, in Minneapolis where temperatures were as low as minus 14 F (minus 26 C), Brian Pierce ventured out to experience the extreme weather and observed cars struggling on slippery roads. He noted that the lack of grip on the roads made the driving experience unusual. "My teeth are in pain." TRAVELING EAST Wind-chill temperatures in some areas of the Northern Plains and Great Lakes dropped to as low as minus 42 F (minus 41 C) in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and to 31 degrees below zero F (minus 35 C) in Fargo, North Dakota, as reported by the National Weather Service (NWS). The freezing winds then moved towards the U.S. East Coast, causing temperatures to plummet. Over a thousand flights, nearly two-thirds of all scheduled, were canceled on Wednesday at Chicago O'Hare and Chicago Midway international airports, according to FlightAware. Amtrak also canceled all trains in and out of Chicago on Wednesday. Annie Carlson, at Morning Joy Farm in Mercer, North Dakota, reported that her horses and sheep were in good condition and could seek shelter in the barn if needed. Her chickens, ducks, and guinea hens were also comfortable in the 70-degree F (21 C) temperature inside their hoop house. Meteorologist Andrew Orrison from the NWS mentioned that International Falls, Minnesota, experienced some of the coldest wind chills at minus 55 F (minus 48 C). Even the South Pole in Antarctica experienced higher temperatures than usual, with an expected low of minus 24 F (minus 31 C) with wind chill. Temperatures in Chicago are expected to drop significantly on Wednesday night, potentially breaking the record low of minus 27 F (minus 33 C) on Jan. 21, 1985. Businesses, including banks and stores, closed due to the extreme cold. Waste Management Inc also cancelled trash pickups in counties across the Midwest on Wednesday and Thursday. The polar vortex, normally spinning around the stratosphere over the North Pole, was disrupted, causing the bitter cold weather. Officials in the Midwest have opened warming centres and police stations in Chicago are available for those seeking refuge from the cold. City buses have been deployed as mobile warming centres for homeless individuals, and the police are distributing hats, jackets, and blankets. The Chicago Police Department is encouraging people to seek shelter from the cold, but they will not force anyone to do so. Energy analysts predict that US homes and businesses will use record amounts of natural gas for heating on Wednesday. Xcel Energy requested that residents living to the north and northwest of the Twin Cities in Minnesota lower their thermostats to 60 F (16 C) due to strains on the natural gas supply system. The Michigan Agency for Energy announced that utility companies in the state had agreed not to disconnect gas or electric services for delinquent customers for the remainder of the week. (Source: New York Times News Service, 2019)