Parts of U.S. face ‘life-threatening’ cold as snow causes travel headaches

Cold weather, combined with wind gusts of up to 60 mph could bring “life-threatening” wind chill values as low as -40 degrees to parts of the central and north-central U.S., the weather service said.

“This level of cold can be life threatening and lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” it said.

Wind chill warnings and watches have been put in place across 17 states from Washington to Texas in response to the cold weather.

Snow is also expected to add to “pre-holiday travel headaches,” from the central Plains to the Midwest and Great Lakes as a major storm begins to brew, the National Weather Service warned.

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“Areas of light to moderate snow are likely along and behind the cold front as it impacts central Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley on Wednesday and Thursday,” it said.

In addition to snowfall, strong winds are also expected to hit “nearly the entire eastern half of the U.S. as this large system becomes fully mature by Thursday night,” it said.

Heavy winds are expected to create blizzard conditions throughout the central/northeast Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Meanwhile, low visibility is expected to further imperil travel conditions on top of snow covered roadways.

The weather service further warned of the possibility of power outages from the Midwest to the Northeast.

“With such a large and powerful storm system impacting a majority of the nation during one of the biggest travel weeks of the year, it i imperative that travelers check the latest forecast before venturing out,” it warned.