Number of deaths unclear as Chicago breaks record for cold, with higher temperatures possible for the weekend

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Dangerously cold weather continued to shatter records across the midwest on Thursday, as the polar vortex kept schools, businesses and government offices closed, and hospitals busy.

Reports of deaths linked to the weather system steadily rose on Thursday and authorities continued to investigate.At least 21 have died across the country, according to Reuters. Hospitals have reported hundreds of cold-related cases.

Life at -58F: I went inside the frozen heart of America's polar vortex Read more

Chicago shattered all-time low temperatures on Thursday morning, earning it the nickname “Chiberia”. There, temperatures dropped to -21F (-29C), nearly 10 degrees colder than the 1985 record.

Nearby Rockford, Illinois, set a cold weather record at -30F (-34C). Madison, Wisconsin broke its 1985 record, with lows of -26F (-32C) Thursday morning. In all cases, record-keeping started more than 100 years ago.

As temperatures rose in the midwest on Thursday, the storm moved farther east, spreading arctic conditions over an area from Buffalo to Brooklyn. In western New York, the storm dumped up to 20 inches of snow (51 centimeters).

The deaths attributed to the weather system include an elderly Illinois man who was found after he fell trying to get into his home, a University of Iowa student found behind an academic hall,a man struck by a snowplow in the Chicago area and nine people in Chicago. Additionally, a young couple’s SUV struck a truck on a snowy road in northern Indiana, and a Milwaukee man froze to death in a garage, authorities said.

The extreme cold has also sent dozens of people to hospitals in Minnesota. Hennepin healthcare in Minneapolis says it has treated 22 patients for frostbite since Friday, including 13 admitted to the hospital. At least 144 people in Illinois visited hospital emergency rooms for cold-related injuries over two days.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A pedestrian braves the cold on Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photograph: Stephen Maturen/AFP/Getty Images

Some areas of the midwest were expected to warm up dramatically by the weekend. Temperatures in Illinois could rise by 80 degrees within days.

NWS Aberdeen (@NWSAberdeen) What can we say, strange things happen when it gets this cold 😆

Photo credit: Sarah Schneewind in Southern MN today. pic.twitter.com/OO0AsIJLsm

More people are expected to return to work in Chicago, which resembled a ghost town on Wednesday after most offices told employees to stay home.

Aside from the safety risks and the physical discomfort, the system’s icy grip also took a heavy toll on infrastructure, halting transportation, knocking out electricity and interrupting water service.

CBS News (@CBSNews) WATCH: It's so cold in Chicago today that they have to set the railroad tracks on fire to keep trains moving. #PolarVortex https://t.co/6FFgLUplgs pic.twitter.com/SXVl4n0ICm

Ten diesel train lines in the Metra commuter network kept running, unlike the electric lines, but crews had to heat vital switches with gas flames and watched for cracked rails.

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In Detroit, more than two dozen water mains froze. Most mains are five to six feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) underground and beneath the frost line, but that matters little when temperatures drop so dramatically, Peckinpaugh said.

Authorities have warned that the warmer temperatures may bring their own set of problems. In Michigan, melting snow and rain and a 17-mile ice jam on the Muskegon river could lead to flooding. Potholes will appear on roads and bridges weakened by the freeze-thaw cycle. The same cycle can crack water mains and homeowners’ pipes. Scores of vehicles will be left with flat tires and bent rims.

The Associated Press contributed to this report