and chiberia. look behind me, we have wind chills down to 45 below zero. once it gets that cold, it only takes five minutes for frostbite to settle in. that's what we had this morning, 35 to 45 below wind chills. actual air temperature today will only muster up to negative 10, and it is just a cold, brutal afternoon. in fact, we haven't seen temperatures this cold in nearly two decades, so something that it can happen, but it hasn't happened in quite some time here across the windy city, and people that are out, as you can see, not too many people are out, but those who are out, are bundled up from head to toe. earlier, some of our crew members had tears m coming out of their eyes and instantly the tears were freezing, icicles hanging from their eyelashes, not only just an hour ago, but that will continue through the rest of the afternoon. as you notice behind me, too, we have lots of snow. this was kind of a triple whammy over the next several days, new year's eve, new year's day, a lot of snow. t

chicagoans renaming their land chiberia. lake michigan's steaming as temps bottomed out at a record-breaking 16 below zero. the governor of illinois declaring a state of emergency. and in indiana, one day after a major snow, a state of disaster and a severe warning from the governor. >> if you can stay in today, stay in all day today. >> reporter: records broken as far as south as texas. and look at these frozen spectacles in georgia. atlanta today, colder than anchorage, alaska. and it's brought to you by a pool of cold air sometimes referred to as the polar vortex. it's an upper-level low pressure system that circulates around the north pole. many times it reaches central canada. and in this case, the jet stream bending just far south enough to allow that counterclockwise spinning low to dig life-threatening cold into the lower 48. even shipping is affected. this coast guard ice breaker working around the clock to keep the shipping lanes open. the ice here hasn't frozen this early since the 1930s. >> this is the kind of st

it is so cold in chicago, residents are calling their city chiberia. is so coldpolis, it that frostbite can occur in five minutes. many cities are canceling classes. the blinding snow, ice, and freezing rain have made roads treacherous. air paying -- airport runways are also a hazard. spirit airways had a flight slide off the runway. inside airports, stranded passengers are frustrated. airlines are warning it could take days to get people to their final destinations. >> i just want to go home. i want to get settled in. we have been cut up -- cooped up for several days. >> green bay packer fans braved five degree weather. >> i have four layers of sets of snowo pants, four shirts, sweatshirts, and the code. -- and a coat. as jacqui has been saying, our area is up next to get this arctic blast. cruiser preparing. -- crews are preparing. >> we may learn more about a missing teen. prosecutors plan to hold a conference regarding the disappearance of alexis murphy. she went missing on august 3 from a gas station in lovingston. randy taylor is expected in cour

. >> people in chicago reliving in that city, chiberia, they have broken 37 hours of subzero temperatures on tuesday. but it's still potentially cold, getting around in danger. drivers getting around. of course, we're talking about black ice. very, very dangerous. this sedan, you can see it spinning out of control. i'm sure hundreds having this same problem. officials telling drivers to avoid the roads unless necessary. >> in minnesota, take a look as a truck flies off a bridge. landed in the interstate lanes of 35, narrowly avoided by oncoming traffic. amazingly, after all of that, the driver survived. >> that's amazing. >>> century-old pipes and subzero windchills a really bad combination in central connecticut. water mains ruptured in south hartford. some of those pipes date all the way back to the late 1890s. >>> and south carolina. south carolina, thousands losing power because of the cold there. scenes like this, burst pipes, ice everywhere because of what happened in the top floor of a condo complex. a pipe in a launsd roomy erupted from the cold. and there you go. >> it's almost l

america hit by a wave of extreme arctic blasts, social networkers have renamed the city of chicago chiberia and have been using it as a hashtag to post eyewitness accounts of the exceptional weather conditions. this photo of lake michigan, for example. others have been posting handy hints for how to deal with the temperatures of -20 degrees, like this guide for how to walk on an icy path without slipping or falling over. >> a number of web users speculating on robert moog on the -- robert mugabe's health. rumors were relayed online before the head of state issued a statement denying the claims, insisting he was in good health and looking forward to celebrating his 90th birth a next month -- 90th birthday next month. film ofng a photo or a legeating a massive turkey at one of the disney theme parks in the u.s. -- this is the latest selfie trend to hit social networks in the states, and it is proving pretty popular indeed. twitter, flickr, instagram, all abuzz with pictures of americans talking into a leg of turkey. devouring the food in a somewhat cavelike -- cavemanlike fashion. but this ra

. >> reporter: chicago residents renaming their city chiberia, colder there than in parts of siberia. it is reaching into the deep south records broken in texas, schools in atlanta closed. the snow, ice and wind still causing commuter chaos on the roads. >> ooh. >> reporter: and the runways. jetblue canceling all flights at four major east coast airports until later today. >> my frustration level is here. in case you want to know. >> reporter: the cold is also a serious danger. frostbite can occur in just five minutes in these temperatures. the cold here in washington this morning is so biting it feels a bit like your skin is freezing and it's hard to believe that what we're feeling here now, which is about 10 below zero, would be considered warm when compared to what many americans are facing this morning. marci and muhammad. >> mary bruce braving that frigid temperature from washington, thank you. >>> mary was mentioning that polar vortex and that's something we've been wondering about so something we can ask jim dickey to explain for us. >> sure. jim dickey joining us from accuweat

i mention the people in chicago are joking that it's chiberia, but it is record low temperatures at o'hare

. >> reporter: brian, it is day two here in chiberia. and across the frozen chicago river behind me, and across most of this nation, this arctic grip is not letting go. sub-zero, bone chilling wind whipping cold. stomping down on much of the lower 48 for another frigid day. from the air, chicago blanketed in arctic splendor. on the ground, javier pushed through his first day as a courier in the windy city. >> you can't play with this weather, you'll literally die. >> reporter: just one of tens of thousands braving the elements to make a living. even keeping others warm. >> i have to provide a city with electric. >> reporter: black ice in minnesota got the best of this car, toppling off a bridge. the driver escaped without serious injury. still, there have been dozens of wrecks across the country, and officials are urging folks to take it easy out there. hundreds of truckers are stranded in indiana, forces off highways, too dangerous to navigate. aaa facing a tsunami of calls. today the job was breathing new life into frozen engines. >> t

than it's been in two decades and it's one reason why people here are starting to call chicago "chiberia." at 2:00 this afternoon it was minus 12 degrees. an improvement from 8:00 a.m. when it was 16 below. >> it's freezing, man! it's cold! >> reporter: the lake michigan shore was freezing solid. schools all over were canceled today and tomorrow. critical parts froze up on public transport and made commuting numbingly slow. interstate 65 in indiana was actually closed. while in minnesota, windchills of 50 below were not uncommon. a.a.a. said there were 15,000 cars for roadside assistance across the midwest. but people still went to work somehow. there were firemen fighting fires, mailmen delivering letters. >> got to have your face mask. the only problem is my mustache keeps freezing. ( laughs ) >> reporter: and doctors treating increasing cases of frostbite. an extended period of cold like this is... >> deadly. brutally deadly. >> reporter: we met dr. michelle surgel in the emergency room of cook county hospital. >> everything is more difficult for everyone but certainly people with und

you were talking about chicago chicagoans calling it chiberia. it's nine degrees colder in chicago than siberia tonight. >>> we're hearing from you about this unrelenting cold in your daily lives. we're bringing in our team to cover family safety, from the right clothes to the slick, icy roads. and of course, also, to the people forced to live and try to bathe at the airports because they're stalled. and that's where abc's linzie janis begins our team coverage. >> reporter: as stranded passengers reach their breaking thought it wouldn't get any worse. >> it was tense for a while. there were people fighting. >> my frustration level is here in case you want to know. >> reporter: tonight, a bombshell from jetblue. the airline shutting down operations at four major hubs, new york's la guardia, and jfk. newark and boston's logan, until tomorrow morning. officials blaming a flash freeze from those plummeting temperatures in the east, and new rules that just took effect this year requiring more rest for pilots. >> i just want to go home. i just want to

we really think they're calling it chiberia today in chicago the it's appropriate for people to take a thermos brand product with them, similar to what ernest shackleton did in 1914 in his expedition to ant arca. it's probably not as cold as it was then, but who knows? maybe it is. >> do you have individual stories of people using their they are most products in order to -- thermos products in order to bat m the cold weather? >> regarding the readiness kits, really to kind of pack your car with a blanket or a flashlight or water. when using a thermos brand hydration bottle, it actually will keep the water from freezing inside that water. >> julie, what kinds of other products are you working on at thermos? >> we have such a wide range of products that are in the works right now for further expansion of various hydration products, food storage products, lunch kits, cooler, as well as our traditional mugs and tumblers. >> julie, where is the biggest competition for thermos? >> really our competition is -- we have so many different product categories that our competition ranges from com

however, it did bring some twitter hash tags calling places like chicago hash tag chiberia in the lastew days that. low-pressure system moving out, drying out but thank goodness, joy, we don't see temperatures getting anywhere near the coldest temperature recorded on earth which was in antartica, minus 129.yeah. >> that's something to feel better about. thanks so much, al jazeera meetrologist rebecca stevenson. >>> if you want to know how bad the cold can get, who better to turn to than canadians, professionals dealing with cold. this has struck even the great cold north hard and under food, several times over the past couple of weeks delivering a stunning sound and a shock. check this the out. >> you are lucky i was videoing. holy (bleep). whoa. man. folks. the. >> holy molly on that. katherine woodgold, a seismologist who studies earthquakes in canada. that's what this felt like to that gentleman. in truth, we have to say that video was recorded at a different event. this has been happening over the last few days, these frostquakes is what people are calling them. what does that mean

chicagoans renaming their land chiberia.teaming as temperatures are at a record breaking 16 below 0. the governor of illinois declaring a state of emergency. in indiana, one day after a major snow, a state of disaster and a severe warning from the governor. >> if you can stay in today, stay in all day today. >> reporter: records broken as far south as texas. and look at these frozen spectacles in georgia. atlanta, colder than anchorage, alaska, and all brought to you by a pool of cold air sometimes referred to as a polar vortex. an upper level low pressure system that circulating around the north pole. many times reaching central canada and in this case the jet stream bending far south enough to avoid the counter clockwise spinning low, to get into the lower 48. even shipping is affected. this coast guard ice breaker in northern michigan working around the clock to keep shipping lanes open. ice here hasn't frozen this early since the 1930s. >> this is the kind of stuff we are breaking through right now. that ice is thick. >>

people here in chicago calling their city chiberia. >> now i'm going to buy hat and gloves. >> reporter: you need it. city officials with the warning -- >> these are extremely dangerous conditions. we strongly urge people to heed warnings and take the necessary precautions to stay safe. if you can stay indoors, please do so. >> reporter: that's why minnesota's governor canceled classes at home to keep kids at home. in the east, ice is the problem causing this massive 11-car pileup in new york's staten island. the concern on the road, black ice. that ice created in below freezing temperatures. slick roadways flipping cars on their sides and making sidewalks slippery. >> the most common things are going to be ankle injuries, wrist injuries, knee and elbow. >> reporter: windchills expected to go so low in des moines, your car's anti-freeze will no longer work. in minneapolis, frostbite can occur in just five minutes. and that's why people are desperately looking for ways to cover up. >> cover up. we just can't stress that enough. get those ears covered, get those hands covered, wear those

. >> all right, they call chicago ch chiberia, highs temperatures below zero. hours and schools are closed this morning. it's too cold to get students and teachers to class. hundreds of flights have been canceled at o'hare and midway. and you know, crews still trying to move all the snow left over from the last few weeks. so, look at the piles of snow at o'hare. unbelievable. >> that's why they call minnesota minnesotaberia. drivers in the twin cities ordered to stay home. major highways were shut down because the wind kicked up so much snow. these pictures are ridiculous. drivers couldn't see a thing. schools are shut down in minnesota this morning, where they're used to this cold. the high in minneapolis is only negative 6. >> they're used to it, but they're also smart. >> yes. >> they know not to try to send kids to school in like that. the scene from north dakota looks like something from a movie. look at the snow blowing across the road in grand forks. winds are a big problem there, leading to highways being closed. the wind just howls across the plains. >

it's so cold here that so many people here are calling chiberia the snow just hammering us, too. now that wind, too. all morning long. take a look, it may look like a gorgeous skating rink, but this is actually a harbor, this is lake michigan. i want to show you some of these maps right now, take a look at just how many cities are being affected by this dangerous cold. warnings from rapid city, to minneapolis, to buffalo, and what's really concerning these wind chills tomorrow morning, look at that. some areas will see temperatures at 61 below zero. the kind of numbers that we haven't seen here in years. and even southern cities will be feeling the bitter cold. look at those temperatures drop. birmingham, 7 degrees tuesday morning. atlanta, 6 degrees. and once we reach tuesday morning, we're still going to see some of those subzero temperatures in the midwest. george, it's going to be a frigid couple of days here all over the place. >> so much of the country affected, gio. as the national weather service reminds us, these temperatures can be dangerous. >> that's right. you know,

. >> in chicago, residents have a that nickname for the window city, chiberia.nd chill of minus 41. even the southern states, mississippi has had 60 straight hours of sub freezing temperatures. that parts of georgia are now covered in snow. now, this winter blast is enveloping the northeast. new york governor andrew cuomo declared a state of emergency in 14 counties, including normally winter ready buffalo. the city is now under a blizzard warning through wednesday morning. it's the first time since 1993 that's happened. winds are expected to bust upwards of 60 miles per hour, which could drop visibility down to near zero. >> we'll look for you later on tonight, ok? >> ok, then. >> all right, eddie, stay warm. >> ok. >> this weather is particularly difficult for the homeless. this couple was found living next to the mississippi river in minus 24-degree weather. >> hospitals in the area are bracing for patients coming in with frost buy and hypothermia. as you can see, it's hard for me to talk in this weather. it is cold. we also want to let you know that several

the national weather service has dubbed chicago for the day as chiberia after siberia there on twitter. it is cold all over. of course, here, this is not your typical foot traffic on a monday. normally on this type of day, getting back after the holidays you will see packed streets, cars all along the road. not a lot of people braving it today. some people are in visiting town. they are getting out. they are going through this. all across the midwest, city officials tell people to stay indoors if possible because the weather is down right dangerous. when it gets down to negative 40, negative 50 degrees, you can have the skin freeze and get frostbite after five or 10 minutes being exposed outside. this weather causing for no shortage of delays in travel both in the road and in the air. yesterday more than 1200 flights canceled at o'hare. more than 350 so far today as well. roads all across the region as well, many shut down completely. in indianapolis the mayor shut down travel on all roads to anything but emergency personnel only are being asked to travel on there. 80 miles of roadway

fahrenheit, un hecho inusual que no tiene explicaciÓn ni para los meteorologos, en chicago se llama chiberia, andrew y jorge, bienvenidos a "despierta amÉrica." >>> gracias por tenernos. >>> andrew, bienvenidos. gracias por estar con nosotros. >>> gracias a ustedes. >>> en tu caso hablas espaÑol. tus papÁs de dÓnde son? >>> de mÉxico. >>> estÁn viendo el programa, fanÁticos de "despierta amÉrica", saludalos ahÍ. >>> besote y abrazote a mis papÁs, te extraÑo. >>> muy bien. (risas) >>> y quÉ tal tu espaÑol? >>> un poco. >>> un poquito sÍ. >>> te defiendes? >>> sÍ, si. >>> estÁ nervioso, le dije tranquilo, y tropical, no hay problema. le decÍa al comienzo, la saga actividad paranormal tuvo un Éxito rotundo a nivel mundial, ahora creen que se enfocan en el pÚblico hispano del paÍs. >>> sÍ, este si que da miedo. porque en nuestra cultura hay tantas, desde chiquitos, historia de la llorona, el cacui, supersticiones, mi abuelita hacia la limpia con el huevo, tanto de explorar rl mundo paranormal para los fans de este tipo de pelÍculas es encantarÁ. >>> ok. >>> los que no son fan, tambiÉn, es su pro

. >> reporter: classes are also canceled in chicago, nicknamed chiberia because of the brutally cold conditions there. air travel is already a nightmare in many regions and getting worse with thousands of flights canceled or delayed. >> a few hearty souls are finding alternative ways around. >> easier to get around on this than in a car or truck. >> reporter: and here in green bay, tailgaters found ways to keep warm in the frozen tundra. >> two grills going. one for warmth. >> one for the feet, one for the food. >> reporter: now the bitter cold did lead to a bitter end for the packers. they lost here to san francisco at lambeau field. we are seeing mild temperatures out east, but this cold is headed that way. al, what is most interesting is how far south this arctic blast is going to stretch. >> that's right. all the way down atlanta, down into florida. dylan, make sure you get inside really quickly. thanks so much. so far, over 26 states have wind chill warnings or advisories or watches. from the dakotas to texas into the new england area. this is part of what is known as the polar

residents referring to the storm as chiberia. >> that was the actually the low.coln park zoo, they're putting in doors now. >> he's not used to this. well, he's -- >> chicago gets cold all the time. >> let's face it, he's like, this is great, you know. whoa, hey, somebody get me a coat. oh, man. >> i thought i came here to be warmer. >> that's what it's like on the outside, polar bear, now you know what your buddies are dealing with. smithsonian magazine noted it's colder -- if you needed another measure, in some parts of the country than it is on the surface of mars. how do you like that? >> i don't believe that. marvin the martian, i don't believe that. >> oh, boy. should we move on to our next topic? this is a sad, heartbreaking -- >> on so many levels. >> this is a gut punch, first and foremost for lindsey vonn, and people who love winter olympics and winter sports, she's officially now out of the sochi games. skiing superstar lindsey vonn announced she will not compete in sochi. in her statement she said, i'm devastated to announce i will not be able to comp