Yikes.
While Ireland is set to for a particular cold and winter-y week ahead, things could be worse.
A lot worse.
Forecasters are predicting that Chicago will see a high of -11 degrees, making it one of the coldest day on record in the States.
AccuWeather (via USA Today) are really attempting to hammer home just how different this cold snap is going to be compared to what has come before:
“Some locations in the Midwest will be below zero continuously for 48-72 hours. I cannot stress how dangerously cold it will be. An entire generation has gone by without experiencing this type of cold.”
The US National Weather service have issued an even scarier warning, stating that the Polar Vortex is set to bring “the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced,” while also cautioning for people to “avoid taking deep breaths, and minimize talking” while outside.
Yep, it is going to so cold that people are being warned not to breath in the cold air too much.
Additionally, Chicago’s CBS News have put together a comparison for what the locals there can expect, when compared to what you might consider to be the coldest parts of the planet:
“The South Pole is expected to reach a high temperature of 4 below zero on Wednesday.
“Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost point in the United States, located above the Arctic Circle, will be 7 below zero.
“Zackenberg Station, Greenland, which is also north of the Arctic Circle, will be 11 below.
“While there is no weather station on the summit of Mount Everest, you would certainly expect even the base camp would be colder than Chicago, given it’s at an elevation of more than 17,000 feet above sea level. No such luck. They’re expecting a high of 30 on Wednesday.”
So if you know anyone in the area, or if you’re planning a little trip over to the States yourself, make sure to wrap up warm!
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