Now showing in the US of A: Frozen 2

Ice covers the Lake Michigan shoreline on January 30. Pic/AFP

Chicago: A brutal cold wave moved eastward Thursday after bringing temperatures in the US Midwest lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising fears of hypothermia.

The extreme weather has now been blamed for as many as eight deaths, US news outlets reported. Mail deliveries were suspended and people were encouraged to stay home in nearly a dozen US states where the mercury plunged into the negative double digits, the worst freeze to grip the region in a generation.

The phenomenon stemming from a blast of Arctic air caused surreal scenes throughout the region, such as steam rising off the waters of Lake Michigan - the result of extremely cold air passing over warmer water below. Parts of Niagara Falls solidified into frozen stillness, and blocks of ice covered the river winding through downtown Chicago.

America's third city was in the direct path of the harsh weather and experienced its second-coldest day ever. The Wednesday morning temperature in the Windy City was -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius), which felt like -50 degrees (-46 Celsius) with wind chill.

8
No. of people who died because of the cold

1.8k
No. of flights cancelled in Chicago

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