Classes were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday for students in the Midwest, including Chicago, where the nation's third-largest school system is located. Police also warned of the increased risk of accidents on icy highways. Michigan announced that all state offices would be closed through Thursday. The US Postal Service, in an unusual move, halted deliveries in parts of the Dakotas through Ohio. Several deaths related to the extreme cold weather have been reported in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota since Saturday. Illinois State Police rescued 21 people who were stranded in a charter bus that broke down in sub-zero temperatures along Interstate 55 near Auburn due to the diesel fuel in its engine turning to gel. A 70-year-old man was discovered dead on a residential street in Detroit, according to a Detroit police spokeswoman. In the nearby community of Ecorse, a former city councilman in his 70s was also found dead in his sleepwear on Wednesday, as reported by local police. Additionally, a University of Iowa student, identified as Gerald Belz, was found dead outside a campus building early on Wednesday. The school stated that Belz, a pre-med student, likely died due to the extreme weather conditions. Meanwhile, the streets of Chicago were deserted, with very few people braving the frigid temperatures which were around 18 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 28 Celsius). Pasquale Cappellano, a 68-year-old waiter, expressed his dismay while smoking a cigarette and waiting for a bus on Chicago's North Side, stating "It's terrible! I gotta pick up my medication at Walgreens or else I wouldn't be out the door." Meanwhile, Brian Pierce in Minneapolis braved the minus 14 F (minus 26 C) temperatures to experience the extreme weather, observing cars slipping on the roads and noting the unusual lack of grip. "My teeth are hurting." TRAVELING TO THE EAST Wind-chill temperatures in certain areas of the Northern Plains and Great Lakes dropped to as low as minus 42 F (minus 41 C) in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and minus 31 degrees 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 on Wednesday, causing temperatures to drop. Over a thousand flights, almost two-thirds of the total, were cancelled on Wednesday at Chicago O'Hare and Chicago Midway international airports, based on FlightAware. Additionally, Amtrak halted all train services to and from Chicago on Wednesday. Annie Carlson reported that her horses and sheep at Morning Joy Farm in Mercer, North Dakota were doing well and had the option to go into the barn for warmth. Her chickens, ducks, and guinea hens were also comfortable in the 70-degree F (21 C) climate inside their hoop house. According to NWS meteorologist Andrew Orrison, International Falls, Minnesota experienced some of the coldest wind chills, reaching minus 55 F (minus 48 C). The South Pole in Antarctica experienced warmer temperatures than usual, with an expected low of minus 24 F (minus 31 C) with wind chill. Chicago is also expected to see a significant drop in temperature on Wednesday night, possibly breaking the record low of minus 27 F (minus 33 C) set on Jan. 21, 1985. Banks and stores closed, and Waste Management Inc cancelled trash pickups in the Midwest. The extreme cold was caused by a disruption in the polar vortex, a stream of air that typically circulates around the North Pole but is now moving south. Authorities in the Midwest have established warming centers for those in need, including opening police stations in Chicago for refuge. Additionally, city buses have been designated as mobile warming centers for the homeless, with police distributing hats, jackets, and blankets. The Chicago Police Department is encouraging people to seek shelter from the cold, although no one will be forced to do so. Energy analysts predict that US homes and businesses will use a record amount 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 strain on the natural gas supply system. The Michigan Agency for Energy announced that utility companies in the state will not disconnect gas or electric service for delinquent customers for the remainder of the week. This information was reported by the New York Times News Service in 2019.