When the United States Postal Service (USPS) cancels mail delivery, you know the weather is extreme. Large sections of the East and Midwest are shivering under bitterly cold temperatures that have affected mail delivery, caused the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and even halted Amtrak train service to and from the Windy City.
The arctic air mass, caused by a polar vortex system coming down from the north, is being blamed for at least seven deaths, according to news sources. Two of the victims were elderly residents of Illinois and Indiana who were found outside of their homes. Another was found frozen in his Milwaukee County, Wisconsin garage after apparently shoveling snow. An Indiana man appeared to have fallen in his driveway and died from exposure. Others were victims of weather-related motor vehicle accidents.